Affliction
by NeonHorizon
Summary: Shizu was born to endure pain in the name of protecting Isabelle. Can she endure the pain of teenage romance? This is a story of unrequited love with some yandere elements. Multiple love interests, but narrowed down to just four. Written just for fun so allow for creative liberties in the storyline. Rated mature for sexual situations, violence, and possible future gore.
1. Chapter 1

"You know, you'd make a cute couple. You and Gokudera."

Shizu glanced up from her sketchbook, confused for two reasons. The first reason was that she had never spoken to Gokudera. The second reason was that she had never spoken to this girl before either. Hana and Kyoko had simply sat down near her and Hana had started talking. "Uh…sorry. What?"

"You and Gokudera." Hana pointed at the boy, who was sitting at the front of the classroom with his friends, completely oblivious to their conversation. "Right, Kyoko? Wouldn't they be cute together?"

The dark-haired girl quirked an eyebrow at this. "What makes you think that? I've never even spoken to him," she bluntly stated.

"Yeah, but you have a lot in common. You're from Europe, right?" Hana saw her nod, eyes on her sketchbook again. "You know he's from Europe, too, right?"

"That doesn't mean much to me." Shizu glanced over at the desk beside her. Isabelle was absently flipping through a manga. _That's all in Japanese. I don't know if she's just admiring the artwork or what, but there's no way that she can read kanji yet._

The other two saw her look at Isabelle and beamed. "Capello-chan? Don't you think Nanase-chan would be cute with Gokudera?" Kyoko asked.

Isa looked at them blankly. "What you say?" Her Japanese was still not very good; they had only moved from Italy a month ago and Isabelle was not putting forth much effort to learn the language. She was from a rich family. She was still expecting them to send for her to come home to Italy.

"Nanase and _him_ ," Hana said slowly, pointing from Shizu to Gokudera. "Cute. Right?"

The blonde stared for a moment and nodded. Turning to Shizu, she frowned. "What are they talking about? Are you dating that guy now or what?" she asked in Italian.

"They think I would be cute with him," Shizu replied, returning her attention to her textbook. "So? What other stuff do I have in common with Gokudera?" she inquired in Japanese.

"Well you both have that delinquent look." Hana saw her frown. "I meant that in a good way. You can't really argue; you have four piercings in each ear, plus that tattoo on your forearm."

Shizu rolled her sleeve down to hide the tattoo, very self-conscious now. "I'm not a delinquent."

"But you _look_ like one."

"That doesn't mean-"

"At least let us introduce you to him. It could be love at first sight!" Kyoko insisted.

"What are you doing now?" Isa tilted her head.

Shizu sighed and ran fingers through her short black hair. "I guess I'm going to meet him," she answered in Italian. "Just wait here." Turning to Kyoko and Hana, she shrugged in resignation. "Fine. I'll meet him, I guess."

"Great! You won't regret it!"

 _Oh, I'm sure I will._ Shizu walked with them, hands in her pockets, and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw his face. His eyes had a look about them that made her face heat up with a vibrant blush. _Just…stay calm. He's cute, but don't overreact like this!_

 **Shift P.O.V**

"This is Nanase Shizu. Isn't she cool? She's our new best friend."

When he looked up, he was prepared to be annoyed. He already was, when he heard girls whispering behind his back. However, when his eyes met hers and he saw the way her face turned pink, his heart skipped a beat. "So what?" He wanted to ask certain questions, but had an image to keep up.

"It's great to finally talk to you!" Yamamoto exclaimed. "Awww! Is that blush for me?"

 _Shut up._ His hand curled into a tight fist. The girl was odd-looking. She wore her hair short; it was obsidian, shaggy, and just reached the nape of her neck. Shining in the pale skin of each ear were four silver hoops. The eyes that kept glancing away from him were a sharp amber color. In a strange way, she almost reminded him of a black cat.

"Yeah…nice to meet you," she muttered. Her voice was quiet, a bit raspy.

He had never spoken to her directly, but he had heard her talk to Isabelle. The two were close, like sisters almost. _Not like sisters_ , he corrected himself. _Like a guard dog and their owner._ It was a bitter realization and grew even bitterer when he realized that he could compare her relationship with Isabelle Capello to his relationship with Tsuna. _What the hell?!_

"We were just discussing it and thought you two would be a cute couple," Hana explained, looking at him.

"What? Nanase, what do you think? Do you already like someone?" Yamamoto grinned.

"I sort of have things to do so…see you later." She turned away quickly, her face turning red.

Gokudera watched her rejoin Isabelle, who giggled. Hana and Kyoko followed her, leaving him to his thoughts as his friends went about filling out a worksheet for class. _They thought we'd be a cute couple?_ He scowled. Since she had transferred to their school, he had subconsciously stolen glances at her. She was different from most girls he knew; she was quiet without being shy, fiercely loyal to Isabelle, and just didn't seem to care what other people thought. Although he suspected that it was because she was too worried about Isabelle to care about what others thought about her.

"Well that was weird," Tsuna commented.

"Yeah. She was cute though!" Yamamoto paused. "Do you think she has a boyfriend?"

"You just met her!" Gokudera growled.

"Yeah, but she seems nice. I want to get to know her better."

They all observed Kyoko and Hana more or less interrogating the two girls. Isabelle beamed, more than happy to accept their attention. She resembled a princess, in both looks and need for pampering. "I think we'll talk to her more often," Tsuna said.

"I hope so. Can you believe they thought you and Nanase would make a cute couple, Gokudera? Isn't that _weird_? You've never even talked to her before."

 **Shift P.O.V**

 _He was pretty cute._ Shizu set to work sketching out a fierce, three-headed dragon in her sketchbook. _He seemed really confident, too. I like that. Isn't he on the baseball team?_ Her pencil snapped and she winced. _Everyone likes Yamamoto though. He's so nice to everyone. I don't think he would ever fall for someone like me. Besides, boys are too much of a distraction. I have a job to do. I have to protect Isa._

"Isabelle, I baked a cake yesterday. Do you want to come over and try some? We can all study together," Kyoko said. It was apparent that she had a plan; she knew that Shizu could never leave Isabelle unprotected and everyone in class knew that Isabelle loved sweets.

"Yes! Cake is favorite!" Isabelle exclaimed. She turned to Shizu, excitement in her sky blue eyes. "We have to go, Shizu! Cake!"

"Fine, fine. I already finished the homework that's due for tomorrow anyway," she assured her friend. "Give me your address. I don't like wearing this uniform outside of class."

"Yay! We got them~"

 _Why does it feel like I've fallen into a trap?_ Shizu walked home with Isabelle after school and changed into a simple pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt. "Hey. What do you think of them? Honestly?" she asked, standing in the doorway to Isabelle's room.

The blonde's bedroom was twice the size of Shizu's, as was the bed, the closet, and the dresser. Currently, Isabelle was rummaging through the walk-in closet in search of something impressive to wear. "I think they're okay," she replied in Italian. "I want friends, Shizu! I mean… _more_ friends. You know what I mean! It's good for both us to have more friends! And those boys they were talking to were kind of cute, right? What did you think of that one? Was it Gokudera?"

"Yeah. I don't know." The dark-haired girl sighed and pushed her way into the closet. "This skirt, these boots, this blouse, and the fluffy pink sweater because it's kind of cold."

"Thanks, Shizu!"

She stepped out of the closet as her friend dressed, frowning to herself. "That one. Yamamoto Takeshi. He was cute."

"He was _super_ cute! Are you kidding me?! I want to hug him! I bet he would feel so nice to hug!" Isabelle stepped out of the closet and used white ribbons to tie her hair back in twin ponytails. "Well? Is it cute?"

"Absolutely adorable as always," Shizu recited. It was something she said so often that it had become automatic whenever Isabelle asked how she looked.

"Good! Anyway! I think you should give Gokudera a try though; he's not bad. He seems more your type than Yamamoto."

Shizu followed her out to the apartment door, grabbing her dark blue hooded jacket from its hook. _How would you know my type? I haven't dated anyone. Ever. Especially not since we met. I can't have distractions like that. Not when I have a job to do._ Instead of shooting down the idea and risk hurting Isabelle's feelings, she gave her a sheepish smile. "Hm. We'll see."

Isa frowned and shook her head. "I just wish _I_ could meet a nice guy! Maybe I'll try talking to Yamamoto. I would just be happy to get a hug from him."

 _Simple tastes when it comes to guys, but extravagant taste in everything else. Lovely. You never mentioned that you like guys like him. I'm surprised after that incident back in Italy. With that guy. What was his name? He was mafia…or something. His name started with an 'X'. Xavier? That doesn't sound quite right._ Shizu tilted her head back, looking at the fluffy clouds.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"What if they start hanging out with Kyoko and Hana more often? Wouldn't that be neat? They both look so lonely."

 _Shut up. Stop talking about it_. He walked with his friends, coming back from the convenience store mid-study session. "They're not that great," he remarked.

"I don't know. Capello-san is really pretty," Tsuna pointed out.

"A lot of guys at school like her, but they're afraid to approach her because she looks like a princess, right?" Yamamoto had been grinning since that afternoon. "I don't know though. I prefer Nanase."

"What?!" Gokudera glanced at Tsuna, surprised that they shared the same alarm at their friend's declaration.

"Yeah. She just acts cooler. I don't know what it is, but I think she's cuter than Capello."

"So are you going to tell her how you feel?" Tsuna inquired.

He shrugged. "Maybe. I just want to talk to her more. She hardly talks to anyone."

"Isn't she kind of… _scary_ though?"

Gokudera's frown deepened. They had all heard rumors about the girl; she was Isabelle's girlfriend, she was the blonde's bodyguard, she was in a gang, she was a yakuza boss, she had been to prison. He knew that only one of those rumors happened to be true and that was that she was Isabelle's bodyguard. Why, he didn't know. However, he had seen the tattoo on her right forearm. It was in Italian and it said 'forever' with blue flames surrounding it. He would never admit this, but he always had the weird urge to touch it whenever the tattoo was exposed.

"Why are you blushing? Are you thinking about Capello?" Yamamoto teased.

"None of your business." He walked a bit faster, but knew it would do nothing. They were all going to the same place. His eyes met with a pair of bright amber ones as two girls rounded the corner a block ahead of them. The boy's face heated and he tried to fight back the blush creeping rapidly onto his face.

"Oh! Nanase, Capello! Going to Kyoko's house?" Yamamoto called, running ahead.

Instantly, Isabelle's face turned red and she shifted behind the dark-haired girl. "Hm? Yeah, we're hanging out with Sasagawa and Kurokawa today," Shizu answered in her raspy voice. "What are you doing?"

"We were studying at Tsuna's, but had to take a snack break."

Gokudera stood listening to their conversation for a moment, occasionally glancing over at Shizu. She was fidgeting a little with the hem of her sleeve and he hated that he found it cute. "What are you doing on Sunday?" he blurted out.

"Sunday?" Shizu looked directly at him now. Her sleeve had slipped up enough to show her tattoo and her fingertips absently rubbed over the letters. "Hm. I don't think we have plans. Why? Did you need something?"

Despite her somewhat harsh wording, he felt excited. She was talking to him. Just to him. In that moment, the two were having their first conversation and almost nothing could destroy it. Almost nothing. He scowled as Yamamoto opened his mouth to speak.

"We should do something fun! Why don't we go to an amusement park or something?"

Amber eyes shifted to Isabelle. "Well…her Japanese isn't that great. I don't know how well that would go."

"It's fine! Look, we can both translate for her," Gokudera said before Yamamoto could reply. He saw her lift an eyebrow, looking sort of amused. "Er…I speak Italian, too."

She smiled a true smile and nodded toward her blonde friend. "That would be great then. Sunday? Should we meet somewhere in particular?"

"Just meet us in front of the school and we can all walk to the train station together." Yamamoto was once again dominating the conversation.

"It will be fun," Tsuna assured the girls. "Tell Kyoko and Hana to come, too."

"Sure. Well then, we have to get going. Isa's skin is sensitive to the sun." Shizu led her friend off down the street, glancing back once and blushing pink.

 _This is my chance._ His heart was beating fast, almost painfully so. _Sunday. I'll talk to her and see what she's really like._ He glanced at Yamamoto, who looked even happier than he felt. Worry started to set in instantly, but he knew he couldn't give up before he had even tried.


	2. Chapter 2

"Shizu! How do I look?" Isabelle turned in a circle, grinning.

The dark-haired girl looked up from her sketchbook and frowned. She hated to be interrupted while she drew and hated it even worse when her friend asked such a question. _I can't really say my usual bit. This is far from adorable._ The blonde was wearing a plaid skirt, polka dot blouse, and striped jacket. Shizu's brow furrowed. _Did you get dressed in the dark or something? How did this happen?_ She stood, shaking her head. "It's…great. But let's see what else there is, hm?"

Isabelle pouted. "It's not good?"

"Not exactly. Alright, so which part of that outfit do you like the best?" Shizu put together a new outfit for her friend, centered around the polka dot blouse. When it looked acceptable, she nodded her approval.

"So what about you? What are you wearing to the amusement park?"

"This." Shizu gestured down at her clothes. "I mean, it's not like it's a holiday or anything. And I'm not out to impress."

Isabelle tilted her head. "Really? You're really not out to impress anyone? Not even Gokudera?"

"I just met him. Why would I want to impress him? It's not like I'm in love with him or something. What about you? You're dressed up for Yamamoto, right?"

Her cheeks turned pink and she toyed with a lock of her long, honey-blonde hair. "Is it that obvious?"

"You hide behind me when he talks to us."

"He's just so cute! Like a handsome knight!" Isabelle squealed.

Shizu glanced at her watch and frowned. "We need to get going if we want to get drinks on the way there," she determined. Once they were on their way, she found herself wanting to ask an important question. It involved the reason why they had moved to Japan, but she knew she had to be very careful about how she asked this question. "So…that guy from Italy. How much did you like him?"

"Xanxus? Why are you asking about _him_? He doesn't matter anymore." Isabelle frowned back at her, but she was blushing. "He was cute. Well not exactly cute. More like he was…hot…maybe? Why are you asking, Shizu? Did you think he was cute?"

"I only saw him once. When I attacked him," Shizu answered bluntly. The incident had been stupid. Isabelle had gone to a bar with some friends, having snuck out of the house. She had a one-night stand with a stranger, which resulted in her losing her virginity and getting kicked out afterwards. When she came home early the next morning, soaked from the rain and crying, Shizu had acted without thinking. In the end, she had been unable to kill him and Isabelle's parents had sent them to Japan for their own protection.

"He was hot!" Isabelle argued now. "Super hot! You were just blinded by your rage!"

"Men are evil. _All_ of them." Shizu shoved her hands into her pockets and bowed her head. "They're violent. They're stupid. They don't think! You can't trust them, Isabelle!" She bit her tongue in irritation. _That's right. I can't get distracted by boys. I have to focus on keeping her safe. That's what I get paid for. It's why I didn't have to live on the streets back in Italy._

"You need to stop being so cynical." The blonde ran fingers through her hair and beamed when she saw the convenience store in the distance. "I'm getting juice."

"Get water. It's more hydrating. And you're getting something to eat, too. I know you skipped breakfast." Shizu watched her run ahead and sighed. _What will I do if that man does come to get revenge? What did she call him? It was Xanxus, right? That bastard. If I see him again, I'll have to just end him. I can't let what he did to Isabelle go without consequence._

 **Shift P.O.V**

When he saw the girls running toward them, he had to look away to keep from blushing. Shizu was wearing a pair of black shorts and a light blue t-shirt with long blue and white striped socks. The clothes hugged her in such a way that it made his heart skip a beat. She was out of breath when she reached them, her blonde friend quickly ducking behind her as her face turned red. "What the hell happened to you?" he muttered, not looking directly at Shizu.

"Ah. We thought you might leave without us. We took a little too long at the store," the dark-haired girl explained. "Uh…so where are the others?"

He glanced over at Kyoko and Hana. "The Tenth is running late."

"Yamamoto?" the blonde spoke up.

"He was picking him up from his house." When he saw Shizu frown, he frowned back at her. _Why do you look so damn disappointed? Don't tell me you like him._

"Capello-chan, that's such a cute outfit!" Kyoko said, walking over.

"Yeah, but is it really okay for an amusement park? It's kind of fancy," Hana remarked.

Shizu took a step away, watching Isabelle talk with the girls in her limited vocabulary. It was clear that this was her job; guarding Isabelle. She was always dutifully standing beside her, catering to her each and every need. "I packed her a backup outfit if it gets too burdensome."

"Why do you dote on her anyway? You shouldn't spoil her," he found himself muttering.

She shrugged and moved a bit closer to him, leaning against the fence. "It's just my job. That and protecting her from idiots so don't even-"

"Like I would be interested in a prissy little princess like her!" he snapped.

"What's wrong with her? You think she isn't pretty?"

 _There is no pleasing this girl! Do you want me to think she's pretty or do you want me to not talk to her?!_ Gokudera was glad when Tsuna and Yamamoto showed up; it instantly distracted Shizu from what he had said. Even so, he still felt jealousy when he saw Yamamoto paying special attention to her. It seemed to be his goal to get her to smile, but she was fighting it. Isabelle smiled and laughed at all of his jokes. Gokudera found himself sitting next to Shizu on the train and scowled. "So you're from Italy?"

"I'm half-Italian," she answered, staring out the window.

"What the hell are you doing _here_ then?"

"My job. I'm protecting Isabelle from a creepy mafia jerk named Xanxus. Although I doubt that you care." She leaned her head back against the seat, sighing softly.

His eyes were drawn to her pale neck, seeing a bit of black ink curling up from the back of her shirt. The boy let a few minutes pass before talking again. "You have any other tattoos?"

To his surprise, she smirked. "Yeah. There's a black butterfly on my right shoulder blade. It's pretty big. Hurt a lot, too. But it reminds me of my mom."

"You left her back in Italy?"

"I left her ashes back in Italy. She was killed by some _men_." Her tone was cold now. "You're curious. I can tell. You want to know why I'm protecting Isa, right?" He nodded. "My father was Italian and he met my mother here in Japan. Took her back with him, promised her a great life, got her pregnant, and then abandoned her in a tiny shop in Venice when his parents disapproved of her being Japanese. He sent her money until the day he died and we sold trinkets in the little shop. When I was ten, _men_ broke in one night. They did horrible things to my mother and I was forced to watch. When they finally killed her, I managed to slip away and I wandered alone for two years." The girl ran pale fingers through her dark hair, sighing. "Two years. I lived as a _boy_ for two years. Because it's so much easier for people to hurt a girl. It's so much fun for them to hear a little girl cry and scream. You know? Men are evil. Men are scum. It's always men. _Always_. So when Isa's parents saw me, skinny and covered in bruises, they took me in. They said they would adopt me if I became their daughter's bodyguard. So I'm just earning my keep. I'll be earning my keep until the day I die."

His eyes wandered to her arm tattoo and scowled. "Not all men are bad."

"Show me one that isn't, then. Show me a man that doesn't have ulterior motives when he talks to a girl. A man that isn't staring at a girl's chest when he talks to her. Show me a man that isn't a fucking _deviant_ and then I'll believe you." Shizu sank lower in her seat and shifted her amber gaze to him. "I don't know why I'm telling you so much. I must be more tired than I thought. What was your name?"

"It's Gokudera Hayato," he replied through gritted teeth. _How could she forget my name that quickly?! I just talked to her yesterday at school!_ Upon closer examination, he could see that she really was tired. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, like deep bruises. She was skinnier than Isabelle, in an almost unhealthy sort of way, and she was shorter by four inches. After hearing her talk, he could really see that she had suffered. It was apparent in her every move, every word, each anxious glance. "I'll show you. Not all guys are like that."

She snorted. "Fine. Prove me wrong then."

 **Shift P.O.V**

The girl had hoped that their conversation would end there. That she could go back to looking out the window at the passing scenery. Unfortunately, he seemed to be in a talkative mood. She felt him poke her arm tattoo with the tip of his index finger and it seemed to send a shockwave through her body. _What is with this guy? He's so weird. Why do I feel comfortable telling him about my past? I've hardly even told Isa the details of how I ended up in her family. She just knows I'm an orphan._

"What's this tattoo then?" he asked, staring down at her forearm.

She rubbed the spot where he had touched, still wondering why it had made her react in such a weird way. "Yeah…it says 'sempre'. You know Italian. It means 'forever'. It's my oath to keep Isa safe." What she failed to tell him was that she had been tattooed the day the Capello family had adopted her. _I've had this for over five years, but sometimes I still feel weird when I look at it._ Shizu rubbed her eyes and sighed. "Sorry about Kurokawa and Sasagawa," she mumbled.

"What? The Tenth wanted them to come."

"I don't mean today. I mean the other day. Just randomly introducing me like that and saying we would be a cute couple. It was weird, right?" She was glad when he half-smiled. _He's actually kind of cute when he does that._

"It was ridiculous."

"Right?" Her eyes went back to the passing scenery. "So what about you and Sawada-kun? I mean, I told you about my oath to protect Isa. Are you in the same situation?"

Gokudera seemed almost offended. "He's going to be the tenth Vongola boss. I'm his right hand."

"Hm." Shizu felt her smile fall. _Vongola? Where have I heard that before? Wait…that guy. Xanxus. Wasn't he somehow involved with…? That would be too much of a coincidence. Besides, he would have reacted when I mentioned that guy's name, right?_

"Hey! Shizu, are you getting close with Gokudera after all?" Hana teased, looking across the aisle at them.

"…not going to happen…" She crossed her arms, letting her eyes fall closed. _I can't get too involved. I can't forget. I can't let him distract me from keeping Isa safe._

The blonde peeked back at them from her seat one row ahead, beside Yamamoto. "Shizu, play nice with him! He's friends with the one I want to date!" Isabelle scolded her in Italian.

"Don't get too close to him! We don't know them that well and what if they're somehow connected with Xanxus?! We can't risk that!" she replied in the same language.

"You're just jealous that this one likes _me_! He's not even your type!"

"You don't know my type, Isa! When have you ever seen me go on a date with a guy?! Besides, you know I can't let myself get distracted! Just stop moving so fast and get to know him before you decide he's a good person!" Shizu scowled back at her friend. "Alright? _Think_ a little first! What if he kills you? How do you think your mother and father would feel?"

Isabelle's sky blue eyes filled with anger. "You're just _jealous_!" the girl repeated. "Why don't you just talk to _him_?! I _know_ you've been talking to him! Don't be such a damn coward and ask him out or something!"

Shizu's face turned red. "You don't know anything! Even if I _do_ think he's cute, do you really think that you can just build a relationship around _looks_? Just because Yamamoto reminds you of a prince, you think you can make that work?! This isn't a _movie_ , Isa! People don't just click together like that! Besides, I'm sure he doesn't even like me! I don't even care!"

"Are you kidding me?! How dense do you have to be, Shizu? Gokudera keeps looking at you like he wants to kiss you! He obviously likes you! Why don't you just give him your virginity?! Maybe then you'll stop being such a prude, stuck-up bitch!" She sat down again, fuming.

The dark-haired girl slouched in her seat, furiously wiping tears from her eyes. "…who the hell does she think she is…?" Shizu glanced over and saw Gokudera looking away, blushing. "Wait…damn it! You understood all of that, huh?" He nodded once. "I'm sorry about that. We don't always fight like that…she was just blowing off some steam."

"That sounded vicious," Tsuna commented from his seat near them. "I mean, I didn't understand most of it, but…" He saw his friend blushing and Shizu teary-eyed. "What exactly did she say?"

"Nothing," they both answered. Gokudera scowled and Shizu leaned her head against the window, sighing. When she glanced over at him, she realized that he was looking her way again.

"You're wondering if I was being serious, aren't you?"

"I don't care." He sounded nonchalant, but was still giving her that look of curiosity.

"Look…I _was_ being serious. About what I said. About you. But that doesn't mean anything, okay? Don't take that as a confession or something stupid like that."

They were both silent for a moment as Tsuna shifted uncomfortably in his seat near them. "Hey, let's talk about the rides at the amusement park," the boy spoke up again. "What rides do you like, Nanase?"

"Roller coasters, Ferris wheels, stuff like that. Fun stuff. Unlike carousels," she answered, unable to look at Gokudera. _He probably thinks I'm crazy now. Not that I care. I don't. I really don't. I mean, why should I care what he thinks about me?_


	3. Chapter 3

"Is she still upset?"

"Not really." Despite this, Isabelle was walking far ahead of them and turning to glare every so often. Shizu winced. "Trust me. She's really not that upset."

" _Really_?" Hana frowned as Kyoko waved at Isabelle cheerfully. "Well I guess she can't really run off on her own anyway; her Japanese is terrible."

Shizu nodded. "At least she ate a good lunch."

"Don't you normally make her meals?" Kyoko asked.

"Yeah. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Her parents made me take a class on nutrition when they adopted me. It's just part of my job." Shizu ran fingers through her short, black hair and sighed. "By the way, this isn't Isabelle when she's mad. The last time I really upset her was when I attacked a guy she liked."

"Why did you do that?"

"He took her virtue and kicked her out into the rain. I couldn't let him get away with that. Her parents never would have forgiven me either." She shoved her hands into her pockets now, unsure of what else she could do.

Hana smirked. "You really are like a _guy_ sometimes."

The girl quirked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"You've heard those stupid rumors at school, right? Someone started saying you and Isabelle were dating. It's ridiculous, right? Anyway. But that got some of the girls thinking and some of them actually developed a crush on you. Some of them even said you would be the perfect boyfriend; you're cute, you're smart, you know how to cook, and you're painfully polite."

"That's stupid."

"I know. You're obviously a girl. Some people are just so delusional."

Kyoko tilted her head. "You're so _princely_ though, Nanase-chan."

"Or _knightly_."

Shizu snorted. "Well it doesn't matter. I like boys so…whatever."

"Any particular boy?" Kyoko inquired with a smile.

"Like Yamamoto? You keep staring at him like a creepy yandere."

"I can't like him. Isa likes him so he's off limits."

The other two frowned. "Wait. So any boy that Isabelle likes is immediately off limits to you? How is that fair?" Hana's voice held a note of outrage.

The girl shrugged. "It's just how it is. Part of my job is keeping Isa happy. And if that means not having a boyfriend, then I can't have a boyfriend."

"That's horrible."

"It's just how it is," she repeated. Shizu looked ahead at the rides they were approaching. There were roller coasters and other things like that, but what really caught her eye was the haunted house. "That looks fun."

Kyoko shook her head. "No way. That's supposed to be really scary."

"Yeah. Not even _I_ want to try that one," Hana agreed.

"Well I can't actually go. If Isa doesn't want to go, then I should stay with her."

"You should go if you want to. I'm serious; you can't let Isabelle control everything you do. You're not a puppet." Hana glanced at the blonde girl ahead of them. Isabelle was standing alone, facing them and looking quite lonely. "Look, we'll hang out with her and make sure she doesn't get hurt or kidnapped or whatever you're worried about. Just go in and enjoy yourself."

Shizu followed her gaze, seeing how Isabelle fidgeted. The blonde nervously turned her sky blue eyes to Shizu's amber ones and she frowned. The dark-haired girl smirked. "We're on our way!" she called in Italian. Isabelle looked away quickly, as if in anger, but the relief was evident in her face. "Alright, you win. But only because that haunted house looks amazing," the girl said to Hana. "Just say 'carousel' and she'll go with you. I'll meet you at the carousel. She doesn't have any money on her, but if she wants something to drink then I'll reimburse you. No soda though, okay?"

"Just like babysitting," Hana muttered. "It's fine though. You need your freedom once in a while, Nanase."

When she stepped into the haunted house, she was puzzled to find herself completely alone. _Didn't Kyoko say this was popular?_ Shizu frowned and shoved her hands into her pockets, eyes shifting to take everything in. It was very dark, but she was still able to vaguely see the things around her. Walking down a narrow passage, she tried not to scream as an animatronic spider dropped down in front of her. Staring into its googly eyes, she smirked. _I thought they said it was scary. Look at this thing. It's ridiculous._ She continued down the passage, ducking away from a lunging robot corpse. A short laugh escaped her.

 **Shift P.O.V**

A number of people had come through, each of them so easily frightened that he was becoming bored. It wasn't his job to scare them; it was just something to pass the time. Not to mention, it was rather interesting to see how each person reacted to the terrors he could produce. What each person seemed to fear most. He was waiting now for the next one to enter, to approach the area where he was currently seated. The wolf figure beside him, covered in thick black fur with splashes of red, was vibrating with electronic growls that would occasionally escalate to frighten the visitors. It was an odd sort of company to keep as he waited, but provided sufficient entertainment when he made it seem to come alive.

Hearing soft footsteps, accompanied by a short laugh, made him tense for a moment. He smirked and pushed himself to stand. It had been a while since the last visitor came through and he promised himself that this one would be the best so far. The darkness veiled him perfectly so he saw her before she could even glimpse him. She was slender and pale, wearing shorts and t-shirt with long socks hugging her toned legs. Her hair was cut short and shaggy, obsidian against her porcelain complexion. The eyes that shifted in that pale face were a sharp amber color that reminded him of fire. His smirk grew and he prepared the most terrifying illusion possible.

The air shifted, scenery changing to a cold street filled with fog. The girl's eyes narrowed and her hands curled into tight fists. He watched her through the darkness and saw a rage ignite in her eyes as the illusion emerged from the mist. A spindly, faceless woman with long black hair like the girl's. Her skin was a pale blue, her body mangled. Blood dripped to the pavement below as the body advanced toward the girl, trembling and twitching. He saw the girl's jaw clench, her fists tightened. Amusement filled him as he realized that she was trying to fight her own sense of fear. She stood still, even as the illusion drew nearer. Its arms opened wide, its head twitching in a most unsettling manner, and a word echoed through the fog. "Daughter."

"You're not her." The girl's voice was soft, but raspy. "I know you're not."

The illusion's hair writhed on her scalp like snakes now. The boy continued to watch the girl. She had begun to tremble and tears were flowing down her cheeks, yet she continued to stand in place and stare at the illusion. Seeing her amber eyes wet with tears caused an odd reaction within him. He felt his heart skip a beat and he half-smiled. This girl was different from the other visitors who had passed through. The others' faces had contorted in despair, their tears ugly and their fear had made them run. This girl had an odd beauty about her when the tears fell. A tragic sort of beauty. He shifted around her, moving behind the girl to circle her before he paused. Fingers traced down her cheek, her tears wetting his fingertips, and a shock of exhilaration ran through him.

She turned quickly, alarmed at being touched when there was nothing there. When she did, he moved quickly to pull away from her and tilted his head. This girl was interesting. Her brow furrowed and as she seemed ready to strike, the illusion disappeared entirely. "What…just happened?" She blinked in surprise and wiped the tears from her eyes. "D-did I fall asleep for a second?"

The young man had settled beside the wolf on the floor, watching her from the darkness. She rubbed at her eyes for a while longer and when she seemed satisfied that the terror was over, she continued on into the haunted house. He was slightly disappointed that she hadn't run away screaming, but at the same time he felt an odd sort of satisfaction in finding someone so brave. Faced with such a horrific illusion, she had stood her ground and even argued with it. That was something to admire. He waited a moment before patting the snarling wolf figure on the head and following her into the depths of the attraction.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Shizu knew she could not let the others see her tears. Standing just outside of the haunted house exit, she wiped her eyes a final time and gritted her teeth again. _I'm fine. What is there to be sad about? That didn't even really look like my mother. There was probably a chemical leak or something. I just hallucinated. Or it's stress. Something like that._

"Shizu! Are you alright?! You've been crying!" Isabelle tackled her in a hug, inadvertently knocking her into a young man nearby.

"Isa! Careful!" The girl turned to apologize and was startled by the young man's appearance. He had dark bluish hair and different colored eyes. The left one was blue while the right was a sharp red. Shizu bowed slightly to him in apology. "I'm sorry about that, sir."

He half-smiled. "Kufufu~ It's alright. Accidents happen. Shizu, was it?"

"Hm. Yeah. Nanase Shizu." She stared at the hand he offered and hesitantly shook it. _There's something…weird about this guy. I don't like that red eye especially. It reminds me of that guy's. Xanxus. He has red eyes. That womanizer._

"Shizuki," Isabelle corrected. She rarely used the girl's full name and why she chose to tell it to this stranger was beyond understanding.

"Shizu sound better," he said. "My name is Mukuro."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," both girls said.

"The pleasure is mine. Are you here alone?"

"With friends," Isabelle replied. A frown formed on her face, never enjoying a conversation in Japanese. She hated to look stupid.

"Kufufu~ What a shame. I would have liked to walk with you a while. It's fine. Perhaps another time." He started off and paused to look back over his shoulder. The boy's bi-colored eyes met Shizu's amber ones and he half-smiled again. "Be careful, little Shizu."

"Uh. Yeah. I will." She watched him disappear into the crowd of other amusement park visitors and raised an eyebrow. _That was weird. Why did it feel so…creepy…when he shook my hand? I got a chill up my spine. And I still hate that red eye._

Isabelle nervously twirled a strand of curly blonde hair around her finger, observing the anxiety in Shizu's eyes. "Do you know him from somewhere?"

"Never seen him before. Why?"

"The way he looked at you…it was like he had met you before. I don't know. I think he's weird. He's not cute, either."

"I wouldn't say that…" Shizu shoved her hands into her pockets and started off, spotting the rest of their group in the distance. "I'm getting tired. Maybe we should head back early."

"What?! No way! I hardly got to talk to Yamamoto today!" Isabelle hurried to keep up with her, pouting. "At least _you_ got to talk to a cute boy! Well at least _you_ thought he was cute. Right? You thought that boy was cute?"

"I didn't say that. I said he wasn't _not_ cute." The dark-haired girl felt eyes on her, but chose not to look around. _I don't like this though. We really do need to leave. Isa can't be out in the open like this for too long. It's dangerous._

Rejoining their friends, the two announced that they were leaving early. Thankfully, everyone else had decided that they were ready to go as well. Shizu found herself seated beside Gokudera on the train this time, at Isabelle's insistence. She looked through the text messages on her phone for a while, ignoring the somewhat grouchy boy beside her. _Nothing new from Isa's parents. That's a good thing, right?_

"You shouldn't let her boss you around. It's annoying."

She glanced over at Gokudera and raised an eyebrow. "Like you can talk. You do whatever Tsuna wants."

"Because I _want_ to!" he protested. "I do it voluntarily! It's not like I'm his servant; like how you are with her!"

"I do it because I want to, too!" Shizu turned to glare at him and found herself blushing pink. _Why is he leaning in so close?!_ The girl pulled away a little and scowled. "Look, just don't worry about it. It doesn't concern you anyway."

He scowled back at her now and wanted to tell her. He wanted to say exactly how he felt. He wanted her to know how he felt, but the way she glared at him with those fiery amber eyes made him think again. Telling her could mean angering her. That could mean her avoiding him. "Fine. I don't care." Gokudera looked out the window at the scenery speeding past them.

She slouched in her seat and glanced toward Isabelle. The blonde was sitting with Yamamoto again, giggling and blushing. _At least one of us can be happy. That's all that matters though, right? It's what I've been told since I was twelve; do whatever it takes to make Isabelle happy. If that means dying alone, so be it._ The thought made her stomach twist in anxiety. Shizu hated this inner conflict. She wanted to be normal and happy, but she knew she had to sacrifice that for Isabelle. The Capellos had taken her in and treated her like their own daughter. They were her only real family. It was a small price to pay.

"Did you have fun today, Isabelle?" Yamamoto's voice carried back to Shizu.

"Yes! Today was very fun!" the blonde agreed. There was clear happiness in her voice and it made Shizu smile.

Beside her, Gokudera made a sound of frustration. "I don't get why it bothers you when it doesn't concern you," she stated, not looking at him. _I hate that you made me blush. I can't even look at you right now; I'm afraid it will happen again._

He ran fingers through his hair and looked over to see her avoiding his gaze. It irritated him further. "I hate seeing people get used. You look pathetic, doting on her like that."

"What you think doesn't matter. But if it helps, I'm not completely okay with this. You think I love living this way? You think I like not being able to do what I want? I hate myself. Every day, I look in the mirror and I'm disgusted by what I'm becoming. Just a servant. Just a bodyguard. She treats me like a sister, but I know what she really thinks."


	4. Chapter 4

"You know that blonde girl? The Italian transfer with the bad accent?"

Shizu's attention was drawn from the vending machine selection to the two boys standing around the corner. They seemed to not know she was there, nor that she was suddenly on high alert and glaring in their direction. She could not see them around the corner, but knew they were there. _What are they saying about Isa?_

"What about her?" the other asked.

"I'm going to meet her at the baseball field after school and have some fun with her."

"What?! No way! She _agreed_ to that?"

"Are you kidding? She hardly knows how to speak Japanese! But she can read it. I put a note in her shoe locker telling her to meet me there. You want a taste of her, too?"

The other boy laughed. "Of course! What if she says 'no' though?"

"She won't say 'no'. She's so stupid, she'll just come to the field and then we'll just…you know…"

"What if she tells someone?"

"She won't. Trust me. We'll scare her into staying quiet."

Shizu waited for them to walk away before smirking to herself. _Oh, this will be fun._ She snuck out of the school during lunch and returned with her favorite item. It was tucked away for later and the girl intercepted Isabelle from seeing the note in her locker. When class ended, she found Gokudera and scowled up at him. "I need a favor."

"I don't owe you anything," he protested.

"No, you don't. But if you do me a favor, I'll owe you later. Ask Isa; I always repay a debt." She saw him scowl back at her and rolled her eyes. "Look, just do me this _one_ favor. I need for you to walk Isa home for me. Just stay with her until I get there and I'll treat you to dinner and still owe you something later, alright?"

He gritted his teeth, looking more than a little agitated. "Fine. What are you doing that's so damn important anyway?"

"Just having a little fun. Blowing off a little steam." Shizu saw his eyebrow raise and smirked. "What? You don't want to see what I'm going to do. Just run along."

"Whatever. It's not like I care about whatever stupid thing you're probably going to do."

After explaining to Isabelle that she had to stay late, she saw them off at the gate. She waited for everyone to leave before she retrieved her favorite item and made her way to the baseball field behind the school. Sure enough, two boys were waiting there. They looked alarmed to see her, but she hid her weapon behind her in the shadows cast by the school building. "Waiting for someone?" she asked, leaning on one hip.

These boys were stronger than her. They were both on the baseball team and were easily six inches taller than her. It was almost too exciting. The taller of the two frowned. "Where's Capello? I left the note in _her_ locker."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but she had to go home." Shizu tilted her head, the wind rushing through her short, shaggy black hair. "Don't you want to play with _me_ ~?"

The shorter boy grimaced. "You look like a boy. Who would want to screw you?"

His friend cackled. "Except all the girls in her class! But you know, she's not that boyish. She has a bigger chest than some of those other girls. What cup size are you?"

The corner of her mouth lifted. "Oh…I don't know. Maybe B?"

"Flat," the shorter one retorted.

"Not too flat to squeeze," the taller one argued. He started toward her and when he was within a few inches of the girl, he reached to her chest. "They're soft. Hey, do you want to play with me and my friend?"

"Play, hm?" Shizu licked her lips and grabbed the front of his shirt with her left hand. "I don't know how to play; I've never _done it_ before~"

His face turned bright red. "No way! You're a virgin?!"

"Why wouldn't I be?" The girl leaned up to his ear and blew on it lightly. "But I do know a few tricks…" Her teeth closed hard on his earlobe, biting down until she severed it. Blood poured down the side of his neck, drenching his shirt, and he pulled away with a cry of agony.

"Fuck! What the fuck's your problem, you bit-?!" The side of his head connected with something solid and blunt. His body fell to the ground and the object hit the side of his chest. Ribs broke, blood filled his lungs. He looked up at her through half-lidded eyes and saw the aluminum bat shine in the sunlight. Her pale, slender fingers were wrapped around the leather grip and she pressed the end. Spikes appeared on the bat and as it came down on his head, he released a gurgling scream. The spikes pierced his skull and into his brain.

Shizu braced a foot against his chest and pulled hard to get her weapon free. There was a little brain matter left on the spikes, but the crunch of his skull had been worth it. She turned in time to bash his friend in the side as the boy rushed at her in outrage. Blood exploded from his mouth as his organs were punctured. He stumbled, but pushed himself forward. She was knocked onto her back and felt his foot slam into her stomach and chest a few times before she was able to brace herself. The girl shoved herself to her feet and darted away from him in time to avoid a swing at her jaw. His other hand moved quickly, hitting her square in the nose. Warm liquid spilled down her lips and chin, but she ignored it. She had felt worse pain before.

Backing up a few steps, she held her bat tightly in her right hand. _It's not broken. It's just bleeding_ , she told herself. Shizu prepared to strike at his head, but the punch to her nose had left her slightly disoriented. His fist connected with her face again, this time hitting her eye. He drew back and hit her face a third time. Her lower lip split and the taste of blood intensified. _Damn it! I have to finish him off before he does some real damage!_ She swung and the bat struck him in the side of the head. He was injured, but still standing and seemed even angrier than before. _How is he not dead yet?! He should be bleeding internally!_

The girl saw a figure behind him and froze. She took several steps back, her eyes going wide. The boy behind her attacker was approaching slowly, like a predator stalking his prey, and his mouth was set in a firm line. A tonfa was raised and crashed against the back of the attacker's head. It hit again and again until the sound of skull cracking could be heard. The body fell. He looked at Shizu with a glare. She took a step back from him, but he lowered his weapon and kicked the dead boy's leg. "He was going to sexually assault my friend. I didn't have a choice," she explained. She had a feeling he didn't care. Tsuna and the others had told her about this boy.

Hibari turned his eyes from the corpse back to her. "Are you saying you did me a favor? Killing this delinquent?" He seemed to almost be taunting the girl.

"I couldn't let him hurt my friend or any other girls here at school!" Shizu protested. She ran bloody fingers through her hair and sighed. "Look, if you want to bite me to death, go ahead. Just leave me alive enough to keep my friend safe."

"You did do me a favor." There was a hint of irritation in his voice. "So I'll let you go. Report to the Disciplinary Committee room in the morning."

"Wait. What? Am I getting detention for killing this scum? And how did I do you a favor?" Shizu flicked her weapon, blood droplets falling from its surface and speckling the grass.

"Just be there first thing in the morning." He gave the dead bodies a final glance before stalking off back to the school.

Shizu looked down at herself and grimaced. _I'm covered in blood. How am I going to explain this to Isa? I don't necessarily want to tell her the truth._

 **Shift P.O.V**

"I'm hungry. When did Shizu say she would be home?" Isabelle was speaking Italian and emerged from her room in a pair of white shorts and a tight pink t-shirt. She let her long, curly blonde hair down from its ponytails and it swayed with each movement.

Gokudera refused to look her way. He was sitting near the living room window, glaring down at his phone. Tsuna and Yamamoto had met up after class to hang out, leaving him alone with Isabelle. "She didn't say when she would be home," he answered. The boy lit a cigarette, ignoring her look of outrage.

"What are you doing?! You can't smoke in here!"

"I have the window open."

"That doesn't mean-!" A ringtone could be heard coming from her pocket and she answered it cheerfully. "Shizu! Where are you? I'm _starving_! What should we eat tonight?" Her smile fell. "What? Really? I guess so. I don't like hanging out with this idiot. Huh? Yeah, alright. I'll see you later then? Alright!" She hung up and grabbed her jacket. "Shizu said to go to Hana's. I guess her and Kyoko want to hang out with me. You're supposed to stay here."

 _What the hell?_ He watched her go and leaned back in the leather armchair. _What did she say to that girl? And why do I have to stay here?!_ Ten minutes passed before he got his answer. The apartment door opened and Shizu stepped inside, holding her side with one hand and gripping a blood-splattered aluminum bat in the other. Her uniform was splattered with blood as well, some of it obviously hers though most of it seemed to be from someone else. The girl's nose was bleeding, her lower lip was split, and she had a bruise quickly forming around her left eye. She looked at him as she sank to the floor, leaning against the front door. "What the hell happened to you?!" he demanded.

Shizu's head fell to the side, her breathing ragged. She reached up to lock the apartment door and sighed. "It caught up to me faster than I expected. I think he bruised my ribs."

"Who?!"

"Ugh…this bastard. He wanted to jump Isa so I had to kill him." She casually pointed to a gooey chunk on the side of the bat. "See that? It's part of his brain. That bastard."

Gokudera was more than a little unsettled by this, but could see that she needed help. As much as he hated to get too close to her, he knew he had to do something. He lifted Shizu in his arms and her head leaned against his chest, a quiet laugh escaping her. "Shut up! This isn't funny! What if he had killed you?! Idiot! Why would you go off and do something like that alone?!" The boy tried not to think of how nice it felt to hold her, struggling to not blush.

"If anyone's an idiot, it's _you_ for not getting how it's funny."

He could hear in her voice that she was tired. He was glad that she was slightly delirious right now; it kept her from noticing how he blushed. Beneath the layer of blood, she was beautiful in an odd sort of way. Gokudera set her down on the couch and rummaged around in her bathroom for a handkerchief. When he returned to the living room, she was looking slightly better and took the cloth from him to wipe away her blood. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I had to protect her."

"You can't protect her if you get killed!"

"Ngh. I hate to ask, but can you start the shower? I need to wash off this blood. Don't let anyone into the apartment, got it?"

The boy scowled. "Fine." He walked back to the bathroom, obeying her instructions, and sat in the living room waiting for her when she went to wash off the blood. Many thoughts passed through his head. _Why the hell am I sitting here doing whatever she says?! What do I care if she gets killed?_ That thought made him frown. Gokudera realized that he would be upset if she died. _I hardly know her! Why should I care so much?!_ The next thought was that she was in the bathroom, just a short ways away, taking a shower. His face turned red. _Why is she doing that?! She knows I'm out here!_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Stepping out of the shower, she frowned. A look in the mirror showed that her blackened eye was starting to get puffy. _Damn it. I can't hide that from Isa. I hate this. But that was a good workout at least._ The girl dried her short black hair and dressed in a t-shirt and jeans before putting her bloody uniform in the garbage. "So? Isa's going to be busy at Hana's for a while," she started, standing in the doorway to the living room.

Gokudera was smoking, which she had chosen not to get mad about. "What are you trying to say?"

She snorted. It hurt a little and blood dripped from her nose. "Damn it! One second." The girl pressed a handkerchief to her nose and frowned. "So I meant, what do you want for dinner? I told Hana to order something for Isa and that I'd reimburse her. For a limited time only, I'll cook for you. I normally only cook for Isa so consider this a treat."

"Just make whatever. I don't care." Despite this, his face was turning pinkish.

Shizu tilted her head and smirked. "What? You're not getting some weird idea, are you? Like some stupid newlywed fantasy?"

He stared at her a moment. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"N-nothing. Shut up." She heard him snicker and scowled as she rummaged in the fridge. "I'm making grilled beef with steamed rice and miso soup," Shizu declared. The girl set about cooking the meal and grimaced when she felt a presence enter the kitchen. Before she could turn, a hand reached past her to help himself to some of the cooked meat. "Couldn't wait?" She turned and blushed pink when she realized how close he was.

Gokudera chewed thoughtfully for a moment and half-grinned. "It's good."

"D-don't look so pleased! It's not like I made it especially good or anything; it's just regular grilled beef," she stated firmly. _Why is he standing so close?! It made my heart skip a beat! Why? Just because I don't have much experience with boys?_

"Did your mother teach you how to cook?"

Her shoulders drooped. "That's right. She taught me all of her Japanese recipes and a few Italian ones. The dipping sauce for the meat? That's a special mix that she showed me." She saw him dip a piece of meat into the sauce and smiled when she heard him chewing it. "What do you think? It's sweet and savory, right? With a little bit of spice."

"It's good."

Shizu was surprised when he asked what else she could cook. The two talked until the meal was done and as they ate, she found herself glancing over at him every so often. _He really likes it? Isa never liked my Japanese recipes. She said they tasted weird. Why does it make me happy that he likes my cooking? And isn't it weird to be sitting here with him, eating, after I killed someone? He didn't even bat an eye when I told him. Most guys would have freaked out and left._ She raised an eyebrow and began to wonder if he was somehow used to it.


	5. Chapter 5

Shizu dreaded going into the Disciplinary Committee room as much as she dreaded leaving Isabelle behind with Gokudera and the others. She had walked to the room and knocked on the door, which was answered by what could only be described as the most stereotypical delinquent boy she had ever seen. He glared down at her, standing at least a foot taller than Shizu, and shifted his focus of irritation to her tattooed forearm and then the silver hoops shining in her earlobe. Tilting her head, she frowned. "This is the Disciplinary Committee room, right?"

"Why do you want to know? Aren't you-?"

"Let her in." The voice came from within in the dimly-lit room and sent a brief chill up her spine. "I told her to be here earlier. She's late."

 _You said 'first thing in the morning'. This is basically that._ Shizu narrowed her bright amber eyes up at the boy before her and smirked. "Well? Are you going to keep me waiting?" When he grudgingly stepped aside, she entered the room and began to wonder what she was afraid of. The boy who had summoned her was lying on a couch across the room with his arms crossed behind his head and his eyes closed. "What? You have a rough night?" she taunted.

"Your mess didn't clean itself up."

Hearing this, the boy who had answered the door raised both eyebrows. "Wait. _That's_ her? She's so short! She doesn't look like she could-"

"Did I ask for your opinion? Go make your rounds." Hibari sat up now, a corner of his mouth drawn down in his annoyance. Once the other boy was gone, they were left alone in the room and his grey eyes narrowed upon her. "You're late. I hate waiting for people."

Determined not to look intimidated, she crossed her arms and frowned. "I just got to school. Isabelle wanted a special lunch so I'm just running a few minutes later than usual. So what do you want? I have a busy schedule to keep." _Tsuna wanted to see my notes from literature and some girls wanted help with their math homework. I hate wasting time like this._

The way the corner of his mouth lifted made her instantly unsettled. "I'm going to take my time then. It's about what happened yesterday, herbivore. That homicide."

"The second one was self-defense," Shizu argued.

"After you killed his friend. Do you think what he did to your face could be considered self-defense?" he countered. His gaze went to her pale face now. Even in the dim light, it was evident that her left eye was badly bruised and her lip was split.

 _So he saw me kill the other one?_ She curled her hands into fists and raised an eyebrow. "How much did you see? Of the fight yesterday."

Hibari's smirk grew ever so slightly. "I saw everything. Even what transpired before the fight. How often do you let your opponent grope you like that?"

Blood rushed to her cheeks. "Th-that was only so I could get close enough to hurt him," she protested. "Look, just tell me why I'm here. What do you want?"

"What do I want?" he repeated. An emotion danced through his grey eyes for a moment as he looked her up and down. Her uniform shirt sleeves had been rolled up, displaying the letters on her forearm. There was a clip in her short black hair, pulling it away from one ear to reveal the four silver hoops there. The way she stood, defensively and as if anticipating an attack at any moment, amused him. "You're joining the Disciplinary Committee. Your arm band is on the table near the door. Don't let me see you walking around without it on." His hand darted out to her arm and gave it a sharp pull, drawing her face down to his level.

With her face so close to his, inches away, Shizu couldn't help but blush pink. _What is he doing?! What kind of person wants to get closer to you after seeing you kill someone? Is he insane?_ The girl gritted her teeth and managed a scowl to cover her unease.

"One more thing. Don't let me ever catch some brainless herbivore groping you again. Do you understand?" His eyes met hers directly and it was like a clash of ice and fire.

"Yeah. Just let go; I'll be late to class." Shizu pulled her arm free and grudgingly pinned the arm band onto her uniform sleeve. She heard the couch creak behind her and knew that he was settling in for some more rest. _What is his problem? That was just creepy, what he did a second ago. What does he care what happens to me?_

Isabelle greeted her with a frown when she returned to the classroom. "What are you wearing? That looks ugly," she said in Italian.

"I got drafted for the Disciplinary Committee," Shizu replied in the same language. She caught Tsuna and his friends looking at her strangely and repeated herself in Japanese.

"Wait! _That's_ where you went?! Why did Hibari want you to join the Disciplinary Committee?" Tsuna asked. He accepted her literature notebook from her with a grateful nod.

Seated beside him, Gokudera scowled. "What exactly did he say?"

She scowled back. "He said to not let any brainless herbivores grope me." Hearing Yamamoto laugh, she cracked a smile. "Is he always that weird? Not to mention, he went to sleep right after I left."

"That part's normal," Yamamoto replied. "That's so funny though! Why would he say something so weird?"

"No idea." Shizu glanced to the two girls nervously approaching her and forced a friendly smile. "Sachiko-chan, Megumi-chan, did you bring that math homework?"

The brunette, Megumi, smiled shyly. "We did, but we also wanted to give you something. Sachiko saw your face when you arrived. So we ran to the convenience store and got some ointment for you eye. Oh! We also got you a can of juice. Is apple alright?"

She accepted the tube of ointment and juice with a half-grin. "Thank you. It's my favorite, actually. I really appreciate this."

"Ah! There's more though! Um…well we got together after school yesterday and wanted to make you something to thank you for helping us so…h-here." Sachiko, the redhead, drew a bag of homemade cookies from behind her back. The whole time, both girls were blushing red. "Th-they're butter cookies. We didn't know what kind you liked so…"

Shizu wanted to frown, but kept smiling to be polite. "Thank you. These look delicious." To her great dissatisfaction, both girls seemed to squeal. "Maybe we should get started?"

"Oh! Wait, can I put the ointment on your bruise?" Megumi asked eagerly.

"I think I can-" Shizu grimaced now as Gokudera took the tube from her. "What?"

"I'll do it." This was said in a near-growl and he pulled up a chair, positioning it so they face each other. She reluctantly closed her eyes and let him dab the ointment onto her bruise, wincing at the pain. It was evident that Megumi and Sachiko were staring when Gokudera snapped at them to look away. "There. Done."

"Th-that was so cute!" Sachiko exclaimed.

"No more," Isabelle said. "You go. Shizu not help."

"I already said I would. Just talk to Gokudera while I help them, Isa." Shizu sighed and turned back to the girls. "Alright, so which problem?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

What he was doing was stalking. Not quite the way one would think, in this day and age. He didn't plan to steal anything of hers or leave little love notes in her locker. This sort of stalking was more like a cat and bird. Hiding until the moment to strike was right. It would come very soon; he could feel it. The boy half-smiled as he followed her. She looked so cute in her school uniform and it was tailored so it fit like a glove, allowing him a chance to take in every curve. Her hair was different today; tucked behind her ear with a hair clip to display four piercings. He rather liked the way they shone in the fading sunlight as she made her final rounds.

The day before, he had watched her fight with those boys. It was interesting to see her move and strike, not quite graceful like a ballerina, but more with the grace of a samurai. She had done it coldly. Well not quite. There was a fire in her amber eyes when she killed the first boy, a certain blaze of passion that thrilled him. Although it did irk him. Many things irked him about what had transpired. Firstly, she had been groped by the first boy. If she had been unable to kill him, he would have gone after the boy himself for touching what he judged to be his. Secondly, he loathed that it was Hibari that killed the second boy.

Now, seeing her walk around the near-empty school with that Disciplinary Committee arm band pinned to her sleeve, he felt his anger growing. Clearly, Hibari was trying to keep her close to him. He was trying to steal her. Mukuro paused. He watched Nanase Shizu reach the end of the hallway and turn toward him. She could not see him; he was hidden well. Her body grew tense as she advanced and walked past the boy. He knew she was going to the Disciplinary Committee room to report that she was leaving. With this in mind, he could now do two things; follow her or wait for her at the gate. He wanted to reconnect with her, but if he went to the room he may not make it to gate in time to 'accidentally' run into her.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"I'm leaving now." Shizu stood in the doorway to the Disciplinary Committee room, leaning on one hip with her bag slung over her shoulder. Kyoko and Hana had promised to walk Isabelle home so she planned to stop at the market on her way back.

Hibari opened his eyes and shifted them to the side. He was lying on the couch as before, which had made her wonder if he had even gone to class that day. "You're done?"

"I checked every floor for stragglers. No one else is here." These words left her feeling very nervous suddenly. _If he killed me, no one would know._

He pushed himself to sit up and shifted to face her. "Why do you look so nervous, herbivore? Are you more of a coward than I thought?"

"I'm not a coward; I just want to go. I have things to do. I told you I have a busy schedule," Shizu stated. "Look, if there's nothing else I have to do, I'm leaving."

The boy smirked and in the fading sunlight from the window, it looked less than benevolent. "If you want more to do, I can give you more."

"I don't want more. I'd actually prefer it if you just have one of the other members do evening rounds from now on." She paused, waiting for him to retort. He said nothing and continued to watch her. "I'm leaving."

"There's one more thing." The way he said it was taunting, the look in his eyes that of a predator about to tear out the throat of its prey. To her surprise, he stood and started toward her.

Every fiber of her being told her to run or at the very least back away from him, but the courage that had been drilled into her brain since childhood made her stand her ground. She watched him carefully, wishing she had her weapon. "What else is there?" Shizu asked him. He was standing in front of her now, smirking down at the girl.

His hand moved faster than she could follow and gripped her chin. Hibari leaned down, putting his face inches from her own, and stared directly into her eyes once more. It felt as if he was challenging her to look away, but she refused to. "Don't let brainless herbivores touch you. Didn't I tell you that?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? I know that he touched your face." His tone was becoming dark, his grey eyes narrowing upon her in the dim room. The boy's fingers tightened on her face and for an instant she feared he would snap her neck. "The only one who can touch you is me. Understand?" Seeing color rush to her face, his smirk returned. "Understand?"

"Y-yeah. Fine." Shizu was glad when he released her and rubbed her jaw. _That's the creepiest thing you could say, by the way. I barely even know you! Why would I let you touch me, you creep? This is why men can't be trusted! They always have ulterior motives like this._

Hibari stared down at her for a moment. "If anyone else touches you, I'll bite both of you to death. Do you understand?"

"Why would anyone touch me?! He was just putting ointment on my bruise!" She winced when his smirk fell. "I mean…sure. I won't let anyone touch me."

His eyes lowered and he saw her blush again. "Do you always leave the top three button open on your shirt?" he taunted.

"It's none of your damn business! Look, I'm leaving now. Really. I have things to do. I have to make dinner for Isabelle and I still have homework." Shizu turned to leave and felt his hand close around her wrist. "What now?!" As the girl turned to glare at him, something soft collided with her lips. Shizu's eyes went wide as she stared into the grey ones of Hibari. _What…the hell…is he doing?!_ She tore from his hold and ran out of the room, her face going red. _Did he just kiss me? That was my first kiss! How could he do that?! I knew it! All men are like that! Bastard!_

Taking the steps two at a time, Shizu quickly rushed down the stairs and ran down a corridor. The school was becoming dark quickly and as she thought back to the moment in the Disciplinary Committee room, she began to blush more. He had been stalling, biding his time until he could get close enough. She did not understand why he had done it. Nor did she really want to. Shizu's top priority now was getting to the market and then making dinner. Shaking her head as she exited the building, she decided to think about what she would make. _Kyoko and Hana are at the apartment so I need to make enough for four. That's not a problem. I'll make a hot pot. What would be on sale right now?_

As she walked through the gates, she failed to notice the boy standing there. Shizu was walking with her head down, trying to concentrate on what she would put in the hot pot. The boy, a bit irked that she ignored him, chose to follow her. The streets at this time were filled with the orange glow of the setting sun and created an almost romantic atmosphere. This thought made her cringe and walk a bit faster. Hearing footsteps behind her, Shizu tensed. _Am I being followed? Who is it? Hibari? Did he follow me out of the school? But why would he do that? Is he going to attack me for running away after…?! There are people around though! There would be witnesses! Damn it, I won't be killed this way!_ Shizu turned and swung her bag hard.

Mukuro caught it before it could hit his face and gave her a look of surprise. "A little jumpy today, Shizu? I saw you walking from the school and thought I would say hello, but you seem a little on edge."

Her eyebrows raised. "Mukuro-san? Wait. You live around here?"


	6. Chapter 6

Shizu was full of rage from what had happened with Hibari in the Disciplinary Committee room, but she refused to show it to Mukuro. She kept her face expressionless, as she had been taught by Isabelle's parents and the tutor they had assigned to her. _Show no anger. Show no fear._ The girl drew a deep breath and released a sigh. _But I knew he would do that. All men are like that; they want something. More than what they're willing to let on._ Her amber eyes shifted to Mukuro now. "What do you want from me?"

"Kufufu~ What do you mean by that?"

"Every man has an ulterior motive. Why are you really here? You said that you don't live in this area. So why are you here?" Her teeth gritted as she prepared for a disgusting confession that would make her skin crawl. She expected the worst because by doing so, anything less would seem wonderful. _Don't set yourself up for disappointment._

He frowned, but it was not genuine. "Such harsh words~"

"Just answer the question. What do you want?"

Now the boy tilted his head. "I wanted to walk with you a while. I was in the area to meet with someone and when I saw you leaving the school, I decided to join you. What's wrong with a little company, Shizu?"

 _Lies. All lies. Just like what that bastard Xanxus told Isabelle._ Her fists tightened, her nails sinking into her palms. "So what you're saying is, I'm a way to kill time?"

Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "I didn't word it that way."

"But it's what you're thinking. I'm just a way to kill time until you meet with that person, right?" She lifted her gaze to his bi-colored eyes. "But what's wrong with that? Just be honest. Don't lie to me. I hate liars." Shizu took a deep breath again and released it, half-closing her eyes in an effort to stay calm. "I'm going to the store. It's going to be boring."

"I just wanted to walk with you a while," he replied. The boy paused and waited for her to turn in confusion. "What happened to your face?"

Shizu's frown deepened and she absently licked the split in her lip. It stung a little. "Hm. I got in a fight. Isn't it obvious?"

"Who were you fighting?" Mukuro saw her shake her head and he smirked. "Kufufu~ Did you kill them at least?" Seeing the corner of her mouth lift, his pleasure grew. "That saves me some trouble then."

"As if you would have killed them. You hardly know me. Why should you care?" Shrugging off his strange statement, she continued down the street. "So? Who are you meeting up with?"

"Just a couple of friends. You want to meet them, little Shizu?"

"Are they boys?"

"They are."

"Then no." Shizu proceeded to the grocery store, feeling him close behind her until she reached the register area. At this point, he stepped outside to greet two other boys. She watched the clerk scan her items, seeing Mukuro point at her from the corner of her eye. When she went outside, he was waiting for her and half-smiled. One of his friends had blonde hair and a scar across his nose and cheeks. The other wore glasses and had a barcode tattooed on his left cheek. He gave her an icy stare that made her uneasy. "Uh…hey."

"Shizu, this is Ken and that's Chikusa," Mukuro introduced her.

The blonde took a few quick steps toward her and tilted his head, looking her over with golden-brown eyes. "Your name's Shizu?" he asked, revealing sharp canine teeth when he opened his mouth. "You look like a yakuza kid."

She suddenly felt very self-conscious and took a step back. "Nope. Just not a prissy brat," she retorted. "You look like an American with that hair." Seeing irritation ignite in his eyes, she half-grinned. "In a cute, puppy sort of way. What was it? Like a golden retriever?"

To her surprise, his cheeks flushed pink and he also took a step back. He ran fingers through his blonde hair and glanced over his shoulder at Mukuro. "Yeah, whatever. What do you have in that bag?"

"Dinner. For my friends. What? Jealous?"

"I'm hungry."

"We'll get dinner on the way home," Chikusa stated, trying to put an end to the odd exchange between Shizu and Ken.

The girl heard her phone ringing and glanced at the screen. "Damn it. I have to hurry." She glanced up at Mukuro, who displayed a casual half-smile. _Shit. I don't trust them. I hate guys. But he was pretty nice to me. Ugh. And Ken seems nice enough for all his stupid teasing._ Sighing in frustration, she tucked her phone away. "Er…my friends are leaving. Well two of them are. I guess if you don't mind hot pot, you could have some. But only because Mukuro-san has been nice to me! If any of you mess with my roommate, I'll kill you. Got it?"

"Free food!" Ken grinned fully and held out a hand to carry her bag.

"Yeah, I don't think so. I'm carrying this." Shizu started down the street and soon found Mukuro at her side, his friends behind them. _I can't believe I'm letting them come over. But it might make Isa happy at least. She likes it when guys compliment her. Ken seems like her type almost. And Chikusa seems calm enough._ Her eyes wandered to Mukuro now. He had been watching her and gave her a smile meant to be reassuring, but it sent a shiver down her spine.

"What about Chrome?" Chikusa spoke up after a while.

"She'll be fine! She has instant ramen!" Ken protested. "Come on! I'm starving!"

Arriving at her apartment, Shizu found that Hana and Kyoko had already left. Isabelle came out of her room and, seeing the three boys, blushed pink. "Sorry for not warning you," Shizu said in Italian as she took the groceries to the kitchen. She started to make dinner, directing the guests to the living room.

"Shizu, you couldn't bother to _call_ first?! I mean, I didn't have time to change into something really cute! I just put this on when I got home! Look how cute that boy's friends are! The blonde one especially!" Isabelle stood in the kitchen with Shizu, speaking to her in Italian and glancing over at the boys every so often.

"Yeah well I just didn't have time."

"You look cute the way you are," came Ken's voice from the other room.

"They understand?!" Isabelle blushed red.

After a sufficiently awkward dinner, where Isabelle continuously flirted with Ken and made everyone feel uncomfortable, Shizu was feeling a little better. _Maybe I can trust them_ , she thought as she washed the dishes. The boys had left and Isabelle had retired to her room for the night. _I mean, they were nice to her. All of them. I wasn't expecting that. Chikusa seemed so cold when I was introduced to him. Maybe Isa could even be happy with Ken. They look good together anyway. He was really nice to her and she seemed genuinely glad to have him here._

She finished tidying up, locked the apartment door, and went to her room. Shizu locked the bedroom door and took off her school uniform. Looking in the mirror, she examined the deep scars on her back. _I don't need a boyfriend. That thing with Hibari can't happen again. No one can see these scars. If he wanted to take things further…not like I would ever want to with him._ The girl frowned. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she examined her back in the reflection, but now her eyes wandered down to her bust. _Did I get…bigger? Do I need to start binding my chest? They might get in the way when I fight._ She put on her pajama pants and a t-shirt before crawling beneath her blanket, curling up into a ball. Tears were forming in her eyes and she hated it. Shizu had forgotten how wretched the marks on her back were. The marks from her training. The marks of discipline. Just the sight of them made her feel like a child again. Her twelve-year-old self that had been brought into the Capello house; scrawny, bruised, hair matted, scabs on her dirty-smudged skin from fighting for her meals on the streets.

The first kind embrace she had felt was that of Isabelle. The blonde-haired princess had hugged the boyish peasant close and wiped away her tears. She had told Shizu that everything would be alright. To this day, Isabelle didn't know what had happened during Shizu's training sessions. The cruelty of her tutor, the pain she endured, just to protect the kind blonde princess. She would do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant her own life ending. _It's what I owe her. It's my duty to protect her and make sure she's happy. My pain doesn't matter._ The mantra that had been drilled into her head since she was twelve.

 **Shift P.O.V**

He was almost certain that she was having a nightmare of some sort. Her body was trembling beneath the blanket and he drew close to the side of her bed. Tears dotted her pillow, her arms wrapped tightly around something. When she turned over, facing him yet not knowing he was there, he could see that she was holding a small pink teddy bear to her chest. It was surprising, but sweet. She looked so innocent just then; not at all like someone who could kill. But he had seen it with his own eyes. Shizu had murdered and it had not bothered her.

Now he knelt beside her bed and ran fingers through her short black hair, brushing it away from her face as she slept. From what he had seen, she seemed to think she was boyish. He had seen the girls in her class give her the cookies, as if she was a boy, and when she had patrolled the halls she had acted tough. He knew better though. Her tears, even in her sleep, were beautiful in a tragic sort of way. They seemed almost natural on her pale face and it was made all the more sad by her bruised eye. Sitting beside her as she slept, absently running his fingers through her hair, he tilted his head.

Before she had drifted into sleep, he remained hidden. She had thought he was gone, but he was still there after his friends left and he had seen the scars that riddled her back. The girl knew suffering and it made him feel strange to know that. It gave him a sense of sympathetic melancholy, knowing that she had endured such pain. And she was only seventeen so it had to have happened when she was still a child. He had gathered enough information to know the basics; her mother was dead, she had been adopted by the Capello family in Italy and raised to be their only daughter's bodyguard.

The girl shifted in her sleep again, a frown forming on her pale pink lips. The bear fell to the side and her arms were splayed to either side of her. He tentatively reached to her right forearm and traced her tattoo, frowning. Her friends were getting too close to her for his liking. Even the two girls in her class who had given her cookies. Seeing it had made him strangely angry. He smirked and laced his fingers with hers, feeling her hand tighten on his as she continued to sleep. "No one else can have you, little Shizu~" he whispered in her ear. He knew he had to leave soon, but he lingered a bit longer to watch her sleeping frown fade. "Only I can see you cry. Only I can know your fears. Only I can sooth your pain." Mukuro pressed a kiss to her forehead and reluctantly pulled away from her. The sound of her voice made him glance back at her when he was halfway to the door.

"…Gokudera…" she muttered in her sleep. The girl curled up in a ball away from him as hatred sparked in his eyes.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"How do I look?" Isabelle turned in a circle, her sky blue eyes full of hope.

Shizu looked over from making her omelet and half-smiled reassuringly. "Absolutely adorable as always," she recited. "For breakfast, I made an omelet with rice and cut up some fresh fruit. Lunch is onigiri with veggies, teriyaki chicken, and a small salad."

The blonde sat at the table, beaming. "Where's _your_ food?"

"I already ate." She sat across from her friend, sliding the plate to her. It was a lie, of course. Shizu rarely ate breakfast, but Isabelle asked about it every morning. It was their routine. She sipped her green tea and sighed.

"You look tired. Did you stay up late?" Isabelle inquired, frowning.

"No. I went to sleep early. I just didn't sleep _peacefully_."

"Nightmares again? I heard you muttering in your sleep."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do I do that often?"

"Only sometimes. I've never heard you mutter a _guy's_ name though. You usually just say 'Okaasan'." Isabelle went back to her meal, her smile returning quickly. "The omelet is so fluffy today. What did you do differently?"

"What name did I say, Isa?"

Her friend lifted her eyes to Shizu's amber ones, sparkling with amusement. "Gokudera. Do you have a crush on him? It's okay if you do. I don't care if you want to have a boyfriend."

The dark-haired girl shook her head. "It's not that. I don't remember him being in my dream. Why was I saying his name?"

The blonde giggled. "Maybe it's _telepathy_. Maybe he was dreaming of you and you picked up on it."

"That's ridiculous." Shizu yawned and stretched, feeling her bones pop pleasantly.

"You already did your morning workout?"

"Mm-hm. Just waiting on you, Isa."

She rolled her eyes. "You can go without me. I can walk myself to class. Besides, don't you have that stupid club to go to?"

"The Disciplinary Committee? I'm not going there today. Or ever again."

"But _really_! I could walk myself to school, Shizu." Isabelle bowed her head, poking at her omelet with her fork. "I know you and my parents are worried about Xanxus trying to get revenge, but I wouldn't mind seeing him again." She sighed and tightened her ponytail. "You probably think I'm stupid for thinking that, huh? Forget I said anything."

Much as she hated to say it, Shizu knew it had to be said to keep the girl happy. "If you like him, it's fine. That's how you feel. You can't help it, Isa. I won't scold you for liking him." On the inside, Shizu was seething. _How could you like that womanizing bastard?! He used you and then threw you out in the rain like garbage! How could you want to see him again?_ This, in turn, got her thinking about what would happen if he did appear. Surely his revenge would be on Shizu rather than Isabelle. After all, the blonde hadn't been the one to storm his base and attack him with a spiked baseball bat. Remembering her fight, Shizu grimaced. _If I was born a boy, I might be stronger. I might have been able to actually beat him and avenge Isabelle's humiliation. Why was I born so weak?_


	7. Chapter 7

He stood at the gate, waiting. It irked him that he was waiting for them. He knew he was being watched sheepishly by Yamamoto and he tried not to let it get to him. It went without saying that he was annoyed. His eyes went to the time. _She's late. That idiot. She better not be picking fights on her way here._ Spotting two running figures in the distance, Gokudera prepared to say something, but was completely ignored as Shizu and Isabelle raced past him.

"I won! We're getting cake after school!" Isabelle exclaimed, hopping up and down. Despite this victory, she was panting and looked miserably tired.

"I know you won, but it's still not good for you," Shizu replied. "You can pick out _one_ slice. We'll go to the bakery that Kyoko-chan suggested, fine?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Gokudera forced himself to say. When the short-haired girl turned to him, he felt his heart skip a beat. She had such excitement in her eyes that it was almost contagious.

"I told Isa that if she could beat me in a race to the school that we would get cake."

"We hardly _ever_ get to have cake!" the blonde chimed in.

"So we're going to the bakery after school. What? You want to go with us?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She was wearing a grin that was almost too cute for him to look at directly.

Gokudera scratched the back of his neck, knowing that Yamamoto and Tsuna were watching from a distance. "Fine. I don't have anything better to do."

"What? Really?" Shizu leaned in close, her head tilted. "So Tsuna and Yamamoto don't have plans either then?" At this, Isabelle grinned as well.

He started to blush so he turned away, wishing that he was alone with Shizu. "F-fine! I'll tell them that we're going!" Walking with the two girls to meet up with his friends at the building entrance, he frowned. _She's acting hyper, but she looks tired. What the hell was she doing last night?_

The morning went by quickly and soon they were heading to gym class. He stood with his two friends, trying to ignore Shizu and her friends. Kyoko and Hana had joined up with her and Isabelle to talk until class started so it was easy enough to tune out the conversation itself. What bothered him was the gym outfit; a pair of bloomers and a t-shirt that fit Shizu too snugly for his comfort. He knew that other boys were looking her way, though their stares were directed at Isabelle, Kyoko, and Hana. A glance over made his face turn red and he tried to keep from staring.

"Capello-san doesn't even realize," Tsuna muttered, glancing over at the girls.

Yamamoto smiled. "She just doesn't want to. Look at Nanase though."

"Er…I'm trying not to."

"What? Why?"

Tsuna fidgeted a little. "Well, her scars make me feel bad about looking at her."

All three boys looked at her now. She was facing away from them and they could see deep scars across the back of her thighs, not quite covered by the bloomers. Gokudera's eyes wandered up a little to the way the shorts clung to her backside, and quickly wiped blood from his nose. "S-so what? It's not like she cares or she wouldn't wear the uniform," he growled.

There was a short silence, which was broken by Yamamoto. "She has a cute butt."

"Are you serious?! Quit staring at her!" Gokudera snapped at him.

"What? It's true. It looks even cuter in those shorts. I saw you staring," he teased with a grin. "Isabelle looks cute, too. Just not as cute. The gym uniform doesn't look good on her."

"Stop staring at Nanase!" Even now, he could feel his nose bleeding. His friends were staring at him, very alarmed. _Damn it! What the hell am I getting so excited about?_

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Nanase-kun! You look so cute in the gym uniform!" One of the girls from the day before greeted her with a smile. She and her friend walked over to join her group of four and both were already blushing. "Right? Doesn't Nanase-kun look so adorable?"

"So adorable~" Sachiko agreed.

"Why are you calling her 'Nanase-kun'? She's a _girl_ ," Hana said, crossing her arms.

"But Nanase-kun is so princely! I don't accept that he's a girl!" Megumi protested.

 _Are you serious?! Did you really just call me a 'he'?_ Shizu ran fingers through her short black hair and scowled. "Just…call me 'Shizu', okay?"

"Or Shizuki," Isabelle spoke up, both arms wrapped possessively around Shizu's right arm. She was glaring at the two girls, who pretended not to notice.

Sachiko tilted her head. "Shizuki? That sounds like a boy's name though. It's so cute!"

"Shizuki-kun! Nanase-kun! I like Nanase-kun best!" Megumi exclaimed.

"Okay, but I'm still a girl."

Megumi shook her head, her face red. "It's unacceptable! You're not a girl! I say you're not! I say you're so devoted to Capello-san that you're _masquerading_ as a girl to be closer to her!"

 _This isn't some anime world. Life doesn't work that way. Also, I doubt a guy could hide his bits in tight bloomers like these._ Shizu rolled her eyes. "So? Did you need something?"

"Yes! Nanase-kun, you have to wear a boy's uniform! Just once and we'll never bother you again about it!"

"I'm not doing that."

"Then go on a date with us!"

"No way."

Sachiko pouted. "Fine. Let us take a picture of you…kissing someone. Just once. And it has to be…hm…?"

"Gokudera-kun! You were so cute yesterday when he put that medicine on your eye! Kiss him and let me just take a picture with my phone!" Megumi determined.

Kyoko and Hana were trying not to laugh. "You're so _popular_ , Shizu," the dark-haired girl commented. "Come on. Just humor them. It can't be worse than having to do evening patrol with Hibari yesterday."

"Evening patrol? With Hibari? As in, you were the last two in the school, after everyone else left?! I can imagine it now! He had you pinned against the wall in the Disciplinary Committee room, with your shirt open and your skirt pulled down with his mouth on yours and his hand down your underwear, wrapped around your-" Megumi's face turned red again and she closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I-I can't even say it! Your c-c…ah! I can't say it!"

 _I'm still a girl. I don't have one of those._ Shizu shook her head and sighed. "That didn't happen. Look, you want a picture? Come here." She strode toward Gokudera, who was currently wiping blood from his nose. How it got there, she was unsure. Nevertheless, Shizu wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to hers. The girl's pale pink lips met his and she heard the click of more than one cellphone camera. When she pulled away, she and Gokudera were both blushing and Yamamoto was grinning. "Th-there. Happy now?" she demanded, facing Megumi and Sachiko.

"Hey! You can't just-!" Gokudera started to protest, but quieted when she glared at him.

She leaned on one hip. "So? Happy now, Megumi-chan? Sachiko-chan?"

They were both blushing red, blood dripping from Sachiko's nose. The two girls squealed. "He kissed Gokudera-kun!"

Shizu curled her hands into fists, her teeth gritted. "I'm not a boy, damn it!" They were already hurrying away, giggling to themselves. _Are you serious?! What kind of bullshit rumors are they going to start now?_ The girl glanced over at Gokudera, who was still in shock. "Hm? What has you so excited? Stop staring at me, you creep."

"What the hell is your problem?! Do you even know what you just did?"

"Look, I don't care if you're pissed off. I needed them to leave me alone. It obviously backfired though. They think I'm a boy. And nothing I say is getting through to them."

"Haven't they seen you in the locker room?" Yamamoto asked nonchalantly.

"I always change in the bathroom stall because of my scars." Shizu scowled. "Whatever. I don't even care as long as it doesn't affect Isa." She walked back to her friend and left it at that.

When classes ended for the day, she was irate to discover Megumi and Sachiko joining their group to go to the bakery. Their excuse was that they wanted to see what kind of cake Shizu liked. Isabelle walked very close to her, holding her hand tightly. "If they give you too much trouble, tell me. I'll scare them off," Isabelle offered in Italian.

Shizu snorted. "No, it's fine. It's just something I have to deal with, I guess. It's just stupid that they can't understand I'm a girl," she replied back in Italian.

The blonde glanced over at Gokudera, who had been avoiding Shizu since the incident in gym class. She giggled now. "At least you got to kiss him, right?" She saw her friend blush and look away. "Oh my gosh! You're blushing! You _liked_ it, right? You _like_ him?"

"I-it's not like that! I only did it because those girls said they would stop bothering me!" she argued. "Just forget it happened, okay?"

Isabelle yawned and looked ahead. "Don't be so weird about it. It's fine if you like him. I mean, you _did_ say his name last night in your sleep. Just what kind of dream were you having?"

 _Gokudera knows Italian! He knows what you're saying!_ Shizu drew a deep breath and sighed. "What kind of cake do you want?"

"Hm…something pink. Maybe strawberry." Isabelle glanced at Megumi and Sachiko. "They're not coming over."

"They're not," Shizu agreed. "I'm sending them home after we get the cake slices. Do you want the others to come over?"

"Of course! Yamamoto learned a little Italian so he can talk with me!" The blonde beamed. "I don't know which one I like better; him or that blonde from last night. He was so cute! Like a puppy!"

"I guess he was sort of cute."

"You liked his friend though, right? Was it Mukuro?"

"Doesn't matter. I'm not planning on dating anyone." Shizu walked a little faster, seeing that Megumi and Sachiko were talking excitedly about something ahead of them.

"Best pairing for Nanase-kun. What do you think? I like Gokudera-kun with him!"

 _I'm still a girl._ By this point, Shizu was over being mad. It was just becoming slightly irritating. _There's no reasoning with the delusional, I guess. Why bother?_

"Hm...I think Nanase-kun would look good with Hibari though! Imagine them alone together after class, after everyone's gone. Just the two of them in the Disciplinary Committee room. Nanase-kun's shirt hanging open and Hibari's hand sliding into Nanase-kun's skirt!" Megumi's nose was starting to bleed. "So hot I can't handle it!"

To her great disgust, Shizu's face turned red at the description. _What the hell am I blushing about?! He's a creep! Just like every other guy!_

 **Shift P.O.V**

It was cold in the building. He sat with his eyes closed, mind swimming with images of her fear when they first met. If he had known it would escalate to this, he might have ignored her that day. A smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. No. He still would have approached her, even knowing that it would come to this. A peculiar attraction that was steadily growing into an obsession. But at least he was aware of it. Others might have seen it and feigned ignorance, or perhaps not even realized. A quiet sigh left him as he recalled her face that day; so determined yet so sad. Her body trembling, but standing firm as she faced what he could only imagine was her worst nightmare. The worst sort of horror an orphan could face; the shambling corpse of their mother. Shaking his head, he heard footsteps echoing through the room at the return of the others. "You brought it?"

"It was almost too easy." The reply came from Chikusa.

His eyes opened and went to the digital camera held by the bespectacled boy. The gaze shifted to a glare when he saw blood smeared on the side of the object. "What happened to the photographer?" Hearing Ken scuff a shoe on the floor, he looked to the blonde.

Ken's hands were a deep crimson, shining in the dim light of the room. "I had a reason-!"

"He tore the boy apart," Chikusa answered. "Not before we interrogated him, of course."

"Yeah! He was taking pictures of Shizu for some girls in his class! He wasn't even in her gym class, but he skipped to take pictures of her in her gym uniform! I did her a favor by ripping him up!" Ken defended himself. "Do you want us to break the camera?"

Mukuro accepted it from Chikusa and examined it. "Kufufu~ I'll take that pleasure myself." He was wondering about the girls who had wanted the pictures, but chose not to dwell on that. Lifting his gaze to Ken, he saw a little blood smeared on the boy's cheek. "What do you think of them? Shizu and Isabelle."

Chikusa pushed up his glasses, looking annoyed. "They're okay. Isabelle is sort of loud though. Shizu is a good cook at least."

"Are you kidding?! That food last night was awesome! I wish I could eat that every night!" Ken argued. "I mean, she's not that cute; not like Isabelle. But she's funny and she always had a comeback when I said stuff. And her cooking's great!"

Mukuro's eyes narrowed on him, the red one seeming to almost glow in the dim room. "Kufufu~ You make her sound like a housewife almost."

"That's it! She would be an awesome wife to someone, right? I mean, can you imagine her wearing an apron and saying 'have a good day at work' to someone? That would be-" He saw the way Mukuro was looking at him. Like a predator about to strike. "She'd be better if she was cute though. She's not cute like Isabelle."

"Is that so?" Mukuro tilted his head, returning his gaze to the camera. He turned it on and went to the recent photos. "I want you to start checking up on them. Walk her home when she stays late for club meetings. Chikusa. That will be your job. Ken, I want you to help her by protecting Isabelle."

"Are you sure?" The question came from Chikusa. It was clear that he had a million things he would rather do. "Why are they so special?"

"You don't need to know why. You just need to do what I say. Understand?"

"We'll do it."


	8. Chapter 8

"I read something in a magazine recently. It was really weird, but kind of cute in a way. It said you can tell what sort of person your friend is by what kind of animal they remind you of. And it said there are 'cat' sort of people and 'dog' sort of people," Kyoko said.

Isabelle's mouth fell to a frown, only really understanding every other word of what she had said. "What dog and cat?" she asked.

"I read that article too," Hana spoke up. "So, Isabelle, would you be a cat or dog?" She talked slowly and as clearly as possible in hopes of getting the girl to understand.

The blonde smiled. "Like dogs better."

Hana shrugged. "I guess you _do_ sort of remind me of a dog. So you'd be a dog-type. You like attention, not in a bad way, and you're kind of excitable sometimes." She glanced over at Kyoko, who gave her a curious look. "I think you'd be a dog-type, too. You're too friendly to be a cat-type. That's what I would probably be though; I don't like dealing with people too much. They can be irritating." Now Hana looked to Shizu.

The short-haired girl was sitting across the coffee table in an armchair, contemplating what to make for dinner. _We just had these cake slices. Is everyone staying to eat with us? If they are, I might as well splurge and get some sort of takeout. Like sushi or something. Doesn't Yamamoto's father have a sushi bar? Maybe he could get us a discount. Why is Hana staring at me like that?_ She ate her last bite of cake and raised an eyebrow. "What? You need something?"

"You remind me of a cat," was the blunt reply.

"Hana's right. You remind me of this tiny black kitten that my brother brought home once!" Kyoko agreed with a big smile.

Isabelle smiled as well. "Shizu is like cat."

"Ugh. What are you guys talking about now?" Shizu ruffled her short black hair.

"Kyoko and I read an article that said you can tell a lot about a person by what animal they remind you of. You remind everyone of a cat and it makes sense; you're slow to trust people, you're not very affectionate and you hate being touched, you shy away whenever we invite you somewhere. You're a cat-type. So am I though so I totally understand," Hana explained. "Do you have any more coffee?"

"Here." Shizu poured it from the little teapot and frowned. _Unconventional, but I'm not used to so many guests._ Her eyes shifted to the trio of boys at the kitchen table.

The girls followed her gaze. "They would all be dog-types, right?" Kyoko inquired.

"I think so."

"Who else can we do?"

The blonde grinned sheepishly. "Prefect Hibari."

"Oh. That's too easy. He's a cat-type. He hates people and he always seems like he's up to no good. Have you ever seen a cat that didn't look that way? And when he smiles, it's about as creepy as when a cat smiles," Hana stated.

 _Hibari, huh? What about those boys from last night?_ Shizu smirked to herself as she sipped her coffee. _Ken would be a dog. Mukuro reminds me of a black cat sort of; he doesn't talk as much as Ken or Tsuna and his friends. What about Chikusa?_ Her smirk grew as she bit her lip to keep from laughing. _Maybe a fish. Yeah. That seems right._

The next morning, Shizu and Isabelle raced to school again. Gokudera waited for them at the gate as he had the previous day and reached out to catch Isabelle as she tripped, stopping her from bashing her face into the ground. He said nothing, but walked along behind them to the classroom as if it was his job. Shizu settled in at her desk and frowned. "What do you want? You're being a little too close today," she pointed out.

Gokudera scowled and dug in his pocket, producing a tube of ointment. "Your eye still looks bad. Close it for a second." He waited for her to obey and carefully set about applying it. The boy leaned in close and his free hand gripped her chin. "Didn't you put anything on your lip?"

"It doesn't hurt," the girl argued. She felt his thumb trace over her lower lip and tried to keep herself from blushing, but knew she had failed when her cheeks grew hot. "Why are you touching it anyway?"

"Shut up." Gokudera pulled away and scowled when she opened her eyes. "You still owe me that favor."

Shizu glared up at him, still blushing at how close he was. "What do you want? Nothing perverted, you creep."

"What the hell did you think I wanted?! Fine! Forget it!" He moved to walk to his seat, but felt her small hand dart out and catch him by the wrist. Her gaze softened and she suddenly looked almost embarrassed. It made his heart beat faster.

"No. Really. What do you want?"

"What? You're not going to say something sarcastic?"

A very soft sigh left her lips. "Look, I don't trust a whole lot of people. You should realize that. Anyway, you're one of the very, very few guys that I trust. And I know you wouldn't really ask for something perverted; that's not how you are. So just tell me what you want. Or did you have anything in mind?"

"Er…damn it." Gokudera rubbed the back of his neck, looking irritated even as color rushed to his cheeks. "What are you doing after school?"

"Hm? Making dinner for Isa. Why?"

"I'll talk to that baseball nut about taking her home with him." He paused, almost appearing as if he would leave it at that. "We're going to dinner tonight. Just you and me. Got it?" With that, he walked to where his friends were sitting. Yamamoto grinned and patted him on the back, making the boy snap at him.

 _What the hell just happened? Did I get asked out on a date?_ Shizu leaned back in her seat, hearing Isabelle and the other girls whisper something to each other.

"Did Gokudera just ask you out on a date?" Hana asked.

"That was so cute!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Shizu, you have to go on that date! I have no problem having dinner with Yamamoto!" Isabelle said in Italian.

"Er…well I don't really have a choice. I owe him a favor." She was glad when no one asked why she owed him, all of her friends seeming content to believe it was just romantic. When a familiar, tough-looking boy appeared in the classroom doorway, she felt her blood run cold in her veins. "What do you want?" she demanded of the prefect.

"Hibari wants you to stay for patrol after school," the boy replied.

"I quit the Disciplinary Committee. Tell him that for me."

His brow furrowed. "You can't quit. Report to the Disciplinary Committee room after school or we'll hunt you down and make you regret not showing up."

She rolled her eyes _. Oh good. Because I was hoping for just a tiny bit more excitement. I'm going to have beat it into his thick skull then; I don't want to be part of the committee. I have better things to do with my time!_ A glance at Gokudera showed that he had overheard the brief conversation. "I'll just meet you at my apartment when I'm done here, okay?"

"It's not like I care!" Despite this, he frowned as if in concern.

Shizu was reluctant to go to the Disciplinary Committee room for a variety of reasons. As before, she found Hibari lounging on the couch. Crossing her arms, the girl scowled. "I want to quit this stupid committee."

His eyes opened and he looked to her with a frown. "You're not allowed to quit, herbivore."

"Why do you want me to be part of this anyway? It's not like I even care about this school." She saw his eye twitch. "So that creep said you wanted me to go on evening patrol again? I'll do it one last time, but I'm not doing this again." Hibari did not reply. Shizu left the room with the determination to never return. _If I just leave, what would it even matter? I could just walk out of the school and not come back._ Nonetheless, she walked throughout the school to ensure that everyone was clearing out. When she was satisfied that no one else was there, she sighed and leaned against the wall outside of the teachers' room.

Standing alone in the hallway, Shizu felt an odd sort of peace wash over her. _It feels like I'm the last person on earth right now…it's just me…no worries. No one to worry about protecting and keeping happy. No one to worry about at all. Except for that creep upstairs._ She ruffled her short, shaggy black hair. _I have to report that everyone's gone, right?_ Walking up the stairs, she sighed quietly. _After this, I have to worry about that dinner with Gokudera. What the hell is that even about?_ Shizu opened the door to the Disciplinary Committee room, frowning. "Hey, I'm-" A hand gripped her neck and threw her aside.

The girl's body hit the wall hard and she slid to the floor, grimacing and rubbing the back of her head. The boy near the door closed it and glared down at the girl. "I thought I made myself clear last time."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she growled. Shizu tried to push herself up, but found his foot coming down hard on her stomach. Her face contorted in pain.

"I told you not to let herbivores touch you. I told you to wear your arm band. I told you there's no quitting the Disciplinary Committee. And today, it was brought to my attention that someone made a doujinshi of us." Hibari's eyes seemed to darken. "Now I have to punish you."

"Wait what-?" Her arm was grabbed and he pulled her up, pushing her onto the couch. She scowled up at him, her mind racing through a thousand possibilities at once. _The best I can do is get around him to the door and leave. After that, I could probably ask for the Capellos to transfer me and Isabelle to a different high school. That should solve this, right?_ A comic was tossed in her direction and Shizu caught it. Still on high alert, she glanced down at the pages and felt her face beginning to turn bright red.

The pages of the comic contained certain explicit images of her and Hibari engaged in certain erotic acts, hand-drawn by someone from their school. "Th-this is…"

"Defamatory." He took a step toward her, his grey eyes gleaming like those of a true predator. "I should bite you to death."

"Wait, don't! Don't kill me! Y-you can beat me up, but don't kill me!" she protested.

When he tilted his head, it became clear that it was not his intention to end her life. "If you're dead, you can't protect your precious princess. Killing you would be the worst thing to do. Or would it? I think informing the police of your extracurricular activity the other day would be worse. Imagine being locked away for life while she's left to fend for herself. Or even worse." Hibari was standing right in front of her now and leaned down to grip her chin hard. Their eyes met and he saw the fear deep within the girl's amber gaze. "I could break both of your arms and kill her right in front of you."

"Don't…" Shizu hated that her voice was soft, full of terror. She hated that she was trembling. The girl sometimes resented Isabelle, but she could never let such horrible things happen to the blonde. Isabelle was like a sister to her. "What do you want?"

"I want your obedience, herbivore."

Her teeth sank into the side of her cheek until she tasted blood, trying to steady her nerves and distract her from her fear. "F-fine. I'll stay in the Disciplinary Committee. I'll wear the arm band. I'll stay away from 'herbivores'. Now let me go."

His eyes went to the comic that she held and the corner of his mouth lifted. "Do you know what kind of comic that is?"

"Hentai." Shizu's cheeks were red as she spoke, trying to look away from him. When she felt a hand settle on her thigh, the girl jolted back a bit. Her face pulled free of his hold and she turned her head to the side. "Don't-"

"I thought you were going to be obedient." Hibari's tone was taunting rather than harsh and when his hand inched slightly beneath the hem of her skirt, a smirk formed on his lips. "You haven't been touched before, have you?"

"Sh-shut up! I just…I don't like being around people so…" She closed her eyes tightly and felt his fingertips run up her thigh further. _I can't believe this is happening?! How did I get into this situation? I should have just burned that note from those boys! If I hadn't gone after them, this wouldn't be happening right now!_ His hand shifted between her thighs as his knee inched her legs open. Hibari pinned her back against the couch, his free hand on her shoulder, as his hand rubbed up and down her slit through her panties. Shizu gritted her teeth, the sensation of his touch making her almost moan. The girl could feel heat pooling in her lower half as he slowly traced up and then down and then up again, his palm rubbing the bundle of nerves at the top of the slit. _I can't let this happen! I can't!_ Her hands went to his chest, planning to push him away, but he caught both wrists in one hand and pinned them over her head.

"Calm down, herbivore. I haven't actually touched it yet." Seeing tears start to form at the corners of her eyes, his smirk fell. Hibari released her and pulled away. "You have evening patrol every night from now on. Don't cry tomorrow."

Shizu ran as fast as she could out of the room and down the halls, her heart beating fast in her chest. She truly had never been so close to a boy before and what she hated more than anything was that it had made her heart skip a beat. She had blushed and actually started to breath heavier when he touched her. To her further embarrassment, her panties were slightly wet. _I hate him! I fucking hate men like him! No better than that jerk Xanxus! What am I going to do now?! I have to keep Isabelle safe! What will he really do if I don't show up tomorrow?_

A grinning blonde boy was waiting for her at the school gate and tilted his head when he saw her blushing like mad. "Shizu! Wow, you're that happy to see me? Sorry I didn't come yesterday then!" Ken greeted her.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing here?!" she demanded. "A-and it's not like I'm excited to see you or anything!"

Ken leaned in close, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong? You look like you've been crying." He reached out to wipe away her tears, but she recoiled. Now he saw how she trembled. "Shizu? Did something happen?" The girl refused to answer, biting her lip and averting her gaze in embarrassment. "It's okay. Hey, I know! I'll walk you home and treat you to some taiyaki on the way there! How does that sound? Will that cheer you up?"


	9. Chapter 9

"So what happened?" Ken glanced over at Shizu as they walked, seeing her continuously wipe at her eyes. Her face was still a bright shade of pink and it embarrassed him that he thought it was cute. The blonde shoved his hands into his pockets, turning his gaze away quickly.

Shizu saw his eyes dart from her when she looked at him and shook her head. "I'm just tired. It doesn't matter." Her head bowed and the girl fidgeted with the end of her sleeve. _Am_ _I tired? In this moment, all I want is sleep. I know that I can't though; I would have to cancel my plans with Gokudera and go pick up Isa from Yamamoto's._

"You weren't crying because you're tired."

"Hm. People do cry when they're really tired, idiot."

He grinned. "There it is! That sounds more like the Shizu I met! Come on; we're getting taiyaki." Once they had their pastries, he decided to attempt to change the subject of their conversation. "So why were you staying so late?"

"Ugh. Disciplinary Committee."

"Seriously? Why would you want to be part of such a stupid club?"

"I'm not. I mean, I don't _want_ to be." She sighed in frustration. "Well I'm sort of being blackmailed by a prefect. But I don't know why you care. I have this under control."

The blonde had already devoured most of his pastry and now finished off the tail of the taiyaki with one big bite. "Sure. Leaving the school crying really says 'control'. Who's stupid enough to blackmail a yakuza-looking brat like you anyway?"

A look in his direction made her snort. "How can you ask that with a straight face?"

"What? What's so funny?!" There was custard from the taiyaki smeared all around his mouth and the tip of his nose.

Shizu dug in her bag for a handkerchief and snorted again. "Here, stand still." She carefully wiped it away, trying not to laugh. "You eat with about as much grace as a dog."

For an instant, he wore a look of annoyance. The expression was soon replaced with a grin. "You like dogs?"

"Hm. Never had one. My mother's shop was too small and the Capellos didn't like animals. Not that it stopped them from buying Isabelle a horse."

Ken tilted his head, a light pinkish tint to his cheeks. "I could be your dog, Shizu." Seeing her raise an eyebrow, his grin grew wider. "What? Don't tell me you haven't always wanted a puppy to follow you around."

"Oh so now you're a _puppy_?" she teased. "Anyway. I don't need someone following me around; I can take care of myself. In fact, I'm so good at it that people put me in charge of taking care of other people, too." The last part made her frown. _I didn't mean for that to sound so passive-aggressive. He probably thinks I'm some kind of whiny brat._

The blonde did not react the way she thought he would. Instead of acting disgusted by her words, he simply scratched at the back of his neck. "So if I'm a dog, what does that make _you_?"

"I'm just a human. Plain and simple."

"Just a human? Nah. More like a cat." This seemed to amuse him. "A little stray kitten."

Shizu could not help but half-grin. "Oh? What makes me a _stray_?"

"You're too tough to be a housecat." He reached over to ruffle her short, shaggy black hair. "At least you're a _cute_ kitten though."

 _Why are you blushing?_ The girl grabbed the front of his jacket and stared up into his eyes, watching his face turn a brighter pink. "So where are Mukuro and Chikusa today?"

Ken pulled out of her hold, a bit puzzled by the progression of their conversation. It had just gone from flirting to almost an interrogation. "They were busy."

"So why wait for me at the school gate? Can't entertain yourself? You need someone to throw a tennis ball for you to chase?" Shizu taunted.

His grin returned full force. "If we're talking like that, fine. If you throw a ball for me to chase, maybe I'll pet you. No one else obviously has." Ken saw her cheeks flush red and she turned away, starting off down the sidewalk again. "What? Am I right?"

"Sh-shut up."

"Wait a minute." Ken reached out, taking her wrist in his hand. "Don't get upset. I was joking." Shizu paused and turned to glare at him. "I'm sorry. I was joking, okay?"

"Doesn't make it okay. Makes you sound like that creepy prefect."

"I'm sorry."

She ran fingers through her hair, closing her eyes for a moment to try to calm herself. _It's not his fault. He's a guy. Guys say stupid things without thinking._ Biting the inside of her cheek, she nodded. "Yeah. It's fine. I guess maybe I overreacted." A glance at his face made her look away quickly. _That dopey grin of his is kind of cute. Reminds me of Yamamoto almost._

The rest of the walk to the apartment, Shizu was a bit surprised to find herself flirting with him again. When he left her at the door, she frowned. _Before moving here, I rarely talked to guys. I rarely even talked to people my own age, other than Isa. Is this how it's supposed to be?_

 **Shift P.O.V**

Chikusa waited at the corner, looking bored. A look at the time showed minutes ticking away quickly. The sun was hidden behind the clouds and a chilled wind blew past him. He briefly wondered if it might rain. He briefly wondered what he would eat for dinner. He finally settled on one thought and it involved Ken and getting revenge for time wasted.

When the blonde boy appeared, he wore a look of such satisfaction that his friend wanted to get his revenge then and there. "What were you doing?" Ken asked.

"I went to a convenience store," he replied, holding up a bag of manga and snacks. "Was it worth it?"

"Just don't tell him."

"He's going to find out either way." Chikusa dug in the bag for some pocky and offered some to Ken. "I don't see why he doesn't have Chrome walk her home."

"She's so cute."

Chikusa glared over at his friend and pushed up his glasses. "Chrome is cute?"

"Shizu is. She was so cute because she started acting shy and then we were talking and she started to blush. It was adorable. She's like a little stray cat!"

"Don't let him hear you say that. I'm sure he had a reason for wanting _me_ to walk her home after school."

"I won't! I'll be careful!" Ken grinned. "She has such soft hair."

"You shouldn't touch her. If he knows that you touched her hair…" He saw a figure in the distance and his frown deepened. "You took too long. Did you make a detour or something?"

"Well when I got there, Shizu was crying so I had to do something to cheer her up! All I did was take her for taiyaki."

Chrome jogged the rest of the way to them, pausing to catch her breath when she reached the two boys. "Um…is…is everything okay? He sent me to look for you and…he said we should pick up dinner somewhere so…Ken?" She had noticed the satisfaction on his face and tilted her head. "Are you okay?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

 _This is uncomfortable._ Shizu was walking alongside Gokudera, trying not to think of what had happened earlier that day. She had changed into a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, which were comfortable enough. The discomfort came from her companion's silence. "So where do you want to eat?"

"What the hell took you so long to get home?"

"Uh…what? You knew I had Disciplinary Committee stuff." The girl shivered a little in the chilled air. "I tried to quit again. That creep won't let me." She saw his eyes narrow and frowned. "I don't need help, if that's what you're thinking. I can handle it myself. So where do you want to eat? I'm hungry."

They settled on a ramen shop, which delighted Shizu. The boy's mood seemed to improve upon seeing her grin when their food arrived. "Is that your favorite or something?"

She looked slightly embarrassed. "Well kind of. When I was a kid, my mother would order instant ramen in a catalog and we would have it pretty often. It never had meat in it though; we always had to cook it and add it ourselves." Her grin grew. "This looks _delicious_."

Gokudera felt a half-grin creeping onto his face and allowed it. He found himself watching her as she lifted her chopsticks and brought the noodles to her pale pink mouth. When he saw how elated this simple food made her, it made him oddly happy. "You like it?"

"It's amazing! I wish I could make it this way at home! Er…well I mean, it's tasty. It's just food. Why are you staring like that? What, is my pretty face distracting?" Shizu saw a few delinquent-looking boys enter the restaurant and call a greeting to Gokudera. "Guys you know?"

"What do you care?"

"They look like gang members." She saw a guilty look flash across his face and tilted her head. "Are they? I don't care if you know guys in a gang as long as they don't mess with Isabelle."

"Doesn't matter." Gokudera was eating as he watched her, irritated that he could not look away. When she drank the remaining broth and half-grinned, he felt his heart beat a little faster. "What do you want to do now?"

"Hm. I should probably go pick up Isabelle. I'm sure Yamamoto could use the break. Plus, she still has some homework to finish." Shizu walked outside with him, watching the boy light a cigarette. "What? Did you have something else in mind?"

"Er…we could go for a walk." There was an odd tone to his voice, something mixed between desperation and indifference. He wanted to spend more time with her. He wanted the evening to draw out for much longer. Despite what he wanted, he did not want her to know that he enjoyed her company.

Shizu looked up at the cloudy sky and frowned. "Maybe another time. It looks like it might rain." The girl caught his look of disappointment and tilted her head. "Hm. How about this? On Sunday, I'll spend half the day with you. I don't know what we'll do exactly, but we can figure something out. Deal?"

"Fine." Gokudera sounded irritated, but the look in his eyes was one of satisfaction.

Isabelle was in a great mood when Shizu met up with her and the walk home consisted of her talking nonstop about her evening with Yamamoto. Even though she hated most sushi, she had tried a kind that was fried and deemed it tolerably tasty. "This night was amazing! How was your date with Gokudera?"

"Hm. It was good. We had ramen." Shizu made her friend a cup of mint tea and the two parted ways for their bedrooms. Standing in front of the mirror, her door locked, Shizu examined her scarred back again. _They don't look too bad. Do they? I mean, they're gross-looking. But not nightmarishly gross. Right?_ Putting on a pair of grey shorts and a blue camisole, she settled into her bed. Her eyes closed and she heard Isabelle's bedroom door close and lock. _Did she really have a good night? What if she's lying to me? She's done it before. When she came back from Xanxus, she lied at first._

Sleep had claimed her, but an hour later consciousness returned. Shizu woke to the sound of scratching. More accurately, the sound of something scraping over her wall. The girl's bright amber eyes opened and shifted to the side. Her gaze settled upon a mass of darkness in the shape of a human. It stood across the room, in front of her door. Though she saw no eyes, she felt its stare and it chilled her to the marrow of her bones. The girl pushed herself to sit up now, leaning back against the headboard of her bed. "Go away. You're not real." It took a step toward her, its head tilted. "I said-" Her body was jerked to the side, throwing her out of her bed and onto the hard floor on her hands and knees. Something was coiled tightly around her wrist and it constricted harshly, making her wince. "I-I don't know what you are, but leave me alone!"

It approached her now, the surface of its body moving in a constant shifting of living darkness. A limb stretched toward her and a cold hand gripped her chin, lifting her face so she was forced to look at it. "Why would I ever want to leave you alone? You belong to me~" The coil around her wrist was copied on her other wrist and her ankles as well. They pulled hard and forced her into the air and against the wall so she was at eye level with the living darkness. "You look so frightened."

"I'm not afraid of anything," she argued. Despite this, Shizu heart hammered in her chest as the creature moved toward her again. Its body pressed against hers, cold darkness against the girl's warm chest and lower half. "Don't…don't touch me!"

"You haven't started to cry yet. What a disappointment. But I like a challenge~" A mouth took form in the darkness, teeth pale and bared in a half-smile. The creature's head rested against her shoulder for a moment, inhaling her scent. "I want to see your tears, Shizu."

"H-how do you-?" She gritted her teeth, feeling one of its cold hands trace up her side to her chest. _Don't cry. Don't whimper. Don't react. Don't let it see your fear._

"You're so determined," it hissed in a cold, deep voice. The mouth it had formed went to her neck, the teeth biting gently at her skin. Shizu started to squirm in anxiety, trying to find a way to pull free. Lips as chilled as death traveled up her neck to her ear and finally went to her lips. The kiss started softly, but within seconds it had become rough. Feeling the lips move against hers, as if to devour her, she felt her heart seem to flutter. The girl felt her lower half start to tingle and she shifted her hips in discomfort. When the darkness pulled away, it was evident in the mouth's smirk that it had taken notice of her reaction. "Kufufu~ So eager…but not tonight." This voice was not like the one before. It was definitely the voice of Mukuro.

Shizu was released and when she blinked, the figure was gone completely. Her hand went to her neck, which stung slightly from the bites. "What…just happened? Mukuro? But where…? No. No, it wasn't real. That couldn't have been real. My brain…I'm just tired. That's it. This day has just been too stressful and my brain created that hallucination from it. Or dream. It was just a dream and I sleep-walked. How would Mukuro even get in? The door is locked. No one came in." The girl curled up beneath her blanket on the bed, holding her teddy bear close to her chest.

As her eyes closed and she turned her back to the door, another figure appeared. No illusions. No false pretense. It was him. But she didn't see him. Sleep was already falling upon her once more.


	10. Chapter 10

"How did you sleep, Isa?" Shizu was barely awake, yawning widely as her friend appeared in the kitchen. Her short, black hair was still a mess from waking up and there were dark circles beneath her eyes.

Isabelle had been smiling when she arrived, but now she frowned. "Shizu? Are you okay? You look really tired today. Are you sick?" She reached over to put a hand to Shizu's forehead, but the other girl stepped away to avoid it. "Were you having nightmares again?"

The girl shrugged and handed Isabelle her breakfast. "It's fine. I'll just have some green tea; it should keep me awake at least."

"It's not good to have nightmares every night. What if you get sick?"

Shizu raised an eyebrow and half-grinned. "Me? I'm not allowed to get sick, remember? Part of the job. Alright, so hurry up and eat so we can get going."

The same as the last two days, Gokudera was waiting for them at the gate with Tsuna and Yamamoto. Kyoko and Hana joined them as well as they made their way to the classroom. The two other girls looked eager to talk, but waited until Shizu and Isabelle settled at their desks before speaking. "So you heard about those two boys, right?" Hana asked.

"What boys?" Isabelle frowned and ran fingers over her long honey-blonde hair to smooth it. "What is she talking about?" she asked Shizu in Italian.

"Don't know." The dark-haired girl looked to Hana now. "What are you talking about? What boys?"

"They were from a different class. Anyway, they've been missing for a few days and I guess the police found their bodies on the edge of town in a field. Crazy, right? Kids from our school. They looked like they had been beaten with something heavy and something might have gnawed on them after that because there were punctures in their faces and chests."

 _Are you kidding?_ _That's_ _where Hibari put them? He just left their remains out in a field?! How did he even move them there?_ Shizu tried not to look too interested or guilty, turning her eyes away. "That's disgusting." She explained what Hana had said in Italian so Isabelle could understand and saw the girl cringe. "Pretty gross."

"Disgusting!" Isabelle exclaimed.

Kyoko smiled. "Your Japanese is getting better, Isabelle-chan."

"Oh! How was your _date_ last night, Shizu?" Hana gave her a smug sort of look.

"Ah. It was good. We went for ramen and Isa got to have sushi with Yamamoto."

"That's great! I'm so happy for you, Isabelle-chan! Did you tell him how you feel?" Kyoko's smiled in an expectant way.

Isabelle blushed and started to smooth her hair again nervously. "No. Time not right."

"Not romantic enough? You could wait until Christmas to tell him, but that's a ways off." Hana turned her gaze to Shizu now. "What about you? So are you and Gokudera official then?"

"I-it wasn't really a date! We just went out as friends. It's not like we k-kissed or anything stupid like that! Besides, I'm not allowed to date."

"Huh? The Capellos won't let you date?" Kyoko's smile fell.

"It's not like that. I mean, if I was dating someone then I couldn't protect Isabelle as well as I can now. I can't afford distractions." Shizu saw Megumi and Sachiko enter the classroom and cringed. The two girls squealed and ran over, each one holding their own copy of the doujinshi that she had seen the previous day. The doujinshi of herself and Hibari.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"What are they so excited about?" He tried to act like he didn't care. Even if his friends knew that he liked Shizu, he still did not want to act overly interested.

"Megumi and Sachiko have some kind of comic. It looks like a doujinshi maybe?" Yamamoto's chair scraped on the floor as he stood to join the girls.

Gokudera gritted his teeth, listening to the girls squeal about something. He heard the low rasp of Shizu's voice and felt color rush to his face. "What the hell is so exciting anyway?"

"I think they're showing her a doujinshi they made," Tsuna replied. His eyes were on Kyoko, trying not to blush as she looked over and waved. "How did it go with Nanase-chan?"

"We had ramen. That was it."

"Don't you like her though? I mean…did you tell her?"

He relaxed a little and allowed himself to turn his gaze to Shizu. The girl was running her fingers through her hair, her expression one of complete exhaustion. Even tired, she looked cute. There was something about the way she was now though. Something almost feral about the way she seemed defensive and ready to strike out at the girls. It worried him and he hated it. "I'll tell her eventually."

Tsuna squinted and then his eyes went wide. "Um…that's a…h-hentai doujinshi…of Nanase-chan and Hibari…" His face went bright red.

Instantly, Gokudera stood and stormed over to the group. "What the hell is that?"

Megumi and Sachiko moved closer to Shizu, appearing very startled by his appearance at first. "Oh my gosh! Gokudera-kun! I forgot! Sachiko-" Megumi started to say.

"I said 'what the hell is that'. Give it to me." He grabbed the comic from her and opened it. The image made his face instantly go pink. It was a very well-drawn image of Shizu being intimate with Hibari. Her shirt was on in the picture, but her chest was drawn flatter than it really was and the act itself was being down from behind so it was a bit obscured. His heart beat a little faster, zeroing in on the expression on the drawn Shizu's face. "Who drew this?"

"I did!" Sachiko said eagerly. "I can make one of you and Nanase-kun next! I've been wanting to do that for a while! Maybe you can pose with him even~"

He glanced at Shizu. She was blushing and refused to meet anyone's gaze. Gokudera carried the book over to the garbage can and dropped it in before lighting it on fire. He heard the girls scream, but ignored it. "Don't draw any more of this, got it?! And Nanase is a _girl_!"

 **Shift P.O.V**

The act had been a bit extreme, but Shizu appreciated it. _At least he's standing up for me. Yamamoto just laughed. I wish he hadn't seen those pictures though._ Her face went from pink to red as she remembered that she had Disciplinary Committee work after school. "Gokudera."

He scowled over at her from his seat, but his look of irritation softened when he saw her blushing. "What do you want, Nanase?"

"Could you walk Isabelle home for me? I have Disciplinary Committee stuff. Ah. I guess I could treat you to dinner when I get home."

"Fine." Though he said it as if it was a burden, it was obvious that it wasn't. Despite the scowl he wore, his eyes held a sort of happiness in them that made Shizu want to smile.

"He's weird," Isabelle remarked.

"What makes you say that? He's nice enough," Shizu replied.

"I think he's a coward. He obviously likes you, but he hasn't told you. What kind of man does that? A _coward_."

The dark-haired girl sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah. Maybe he is a coward. Maybe not. Maybe he doesn't really like me."

When classes were done for the day, Shizu willingly walked to the Disciplinary Committee room. It still irked her that he left the evening patrol up to her, but she chose not to argue with Hibari. She found him sitting on the couch rather than lying back as he usual did and it made her raise an eyebrow. "You look unusually alert," the girl commented.

The boy looked her up and down, a smirk taking form on his face. "Where's your arm band, herbivore?"

She dug in her bag and located it, reluctantly pinning it onto her sleeve. "There. Happy?"

"You're just now putting it on?"

"I'm wearing it at least. I'm going to patrol now." Shizu turned to leave, but stopped when she heard him rise from the couch. "What?"

"Go to your classroom when you're done."

Shizu was reluctant to walk around the school once everyone had gone. It took a while for everyone to leave so when she finally walked to the classroom, the sun was starting to set. Standing in front of the door, her heart started to beat faster. She remembered what had taken place the day before; what Hibari had done and how it made her feel. Shizu took a step back from the door now, frowning. Her instincts told her to turn around and run far from the school. Her training told her that she had to obey. He had threatened to harm Isabelle if she refused his orders. Fingers twitching as they reached for the door, she took a deep breath to try to calm herself.

Hibari was waiting in the classroom, leaning against the opposite wall and looking bored. "You took too long. I hate waiting for people, herbivore."

The girl gritted her teeth in irritation. She fought her instincts and stepped into the room. "I have a name. Stop calling me 'herbivore'. I'm Nanase Shizuki."

His eyes narrowed. "That sounds too much like a boy's name. Close the door, herbivore."

"Try calling me by my name first and I might actually obey."

The boy crossed his arms and his smirk did not waver. "Nanase. Close the door."

She did as he said, biting the inside of her cheek as she did so. "I know who made the doujinshi. If you want to get revenge." Shizu had her back to him, staring at the door and hoping that someone would come back into the building.

"Come here."

Her instincts were screaming at her to leave. As she turned toward Hibari, she had the urge to run and jump out the window. Ignoring her instincts with great reluctance, the girl stood in front of him. "Hm. What do you want?" The boy's cold grey eyes darted to the closest desk and she followed his gaze. A copy of the doujinshi was laying open on the desk, turned to the very page that Gokudera had accidentally come across earlier. "Right. I know who made the book so if you want-"

"I want you to bend over the desk, Nanase." There was a firmness in his tone that he knew made her shudder. It was more than a demand; it was an order that they both knew she had to obey. Hibari watched her move to do as he said, her body already beginning to tremble. When she was bending over the desk, her bottom towards him, his smirk grew. The backs of her legs were pale and scarred in a weird sort of pattern. He wanted to touch the scars, but withheld the urge. "I'm going to punish you for not wearing your arm band."

Shizu heard the whoosh of something cutting through the air and closed her eyes. She knew what would come next. It was nothing new to her; it had been how her tutor punished her. When the tonfa struck her, it was harder than she had expected. Shizu felt tears forming in her eyes, but refused to cry out or let the tears fall. It struck five times before she felt him move closer to her. "A-are you done?" she asked in a raspy sort of growl.

"Quiet." Hibari frowned, annoyed that she had refused to make a sound. He had wanted to hear her cry out. More than that, he wanted to hear her beg. She was proving tougher than he thought. It irritated him.

The girl's body tensed when she felt the end of the tonfa beneath her skirt. Biting the inside of her cheek hard, Shizu tried to think of something else. _What is he doing?! Why is he-?_ Her face went bright red when it prodded between her legs. "Wh-what the hell are you doing?!"

"I said 'quiet'." He grabbed her upper arm and pulled her up so she was standing.

Shizu tasted blood from the bite in her cheek and clenched her eyes tightly shut when she felt an arm go around her from behind. The tonfa was gone, replaced by his hand dipping beneath her skirt and stopping at the edge of her panties. "N-no…don't…"

"You're not going to cry this time, are you?" he taunted. Hibari could already feel the warmth of her skin against his fingertips and felt her body trembling in his hold. Her breath hitched as he slipped his hand past the edge and pressed it against her heated flesh. The girl was biting her lip now, her eyes closed. He turned her face to the side so he could see it, anticipating the expression she would make when he first touched her.

She winced at the feeling of his skin against hers, slipping further down until he brushed her warm entrance. Her body was still trembling, fearful and angry at the same time. She wanted to run, but there were two things stopping her. First was his threat to kill Isabelle. The second reason was that, despite her hatred for him, it felt strangely good. Her heart beat faster, her face heated with a blush, and the girl's lower half started to tingle in a pleasant sort of way. Shizu felt his fingertips traced along her slit and when his middle finger dipped inside ever so slightly, she released a whimper. _Why does it feel so good? I've never…touched it like this before…why does it have to be_ _him_ _?! Why is he making me feel this way?_ Her hips subconsciously pushed forward.

"You're this wet from me punishing you?" Hibari taunted. "What was that noise you just made? Are you whimpering for me?"

"I-if you're going to do this…just put it in the rest of the way," she quietly said.

"What was that? Try asking nicely."

"P-please…Hibari-san…p-put it in…" Shizu heard a cold laugh beside her ear and felt his finger quickly slip the rest of the way inside of her. A low moan left her pale pink lips and her hands went to his wrist, gripping it tightly as her nails sank in. _Why does this feel so good?! It feels full, but it feels so good to have it in me! Why?_ She felt him withdraw a little and then push back in, harder. Her mouth fell open, panting as he fell into a rhythm that was fast and rough. Shizu felt a knot seem to form in her lower half, tightening more and more until she finally felt her muscles tighten around his finger in relief. He released her just before her knees buckled and she fell to all fours on the floor, breathing hard.

"Go home, herbivore." Hibari gazed down at her, seeing her blush in embarrassment. It was clearly her first time experiencing a climax and he was glad to witness it. Shizu had turned to a moaning, trembling, timid creature under his touch. As he continued to watch her, the girl struggled to her feet and out the door.

 _I can't believe that just happened!_ She ran as fast as she could, passing Chikusa at the gate without a word to him. When she got home, she spent an hour locked in her room as she tried to recuperate from what had just occurred. _Why did he do that? I mean it's not like it would make me bleed. I accidentally broke my hymen in that fall during training. But why would he touch me like that?! And worse…why did it feel so good?_


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I want to take a moment to thank everyone for reading and send a special shout out to the lovely reader that left a couple of reviews. I really appreciate it ^_^ All of you are awesome! You are the reason why I write!**

"Shizu! How long are you going to sleep in?" Isabelle leaned against her friend's bedroom door, frowning to herself. Shizu was always awake by seven o'clock and had breakfast ready within fifteen minutes. It was nine o'clock now and Isabelle was starting to worry ever so slightly. "You know, just because we don't have school today…"

"I just need a few minutes." The dark-haired girl was sitting on her bed, anxiously chewing on her thumbnail. _I don't know if I can face anyone today. Not after what happened yesterday. I'm sure Hibari was copying something out of that stupid doujinshi. I wish Gokudera had burned every copy of it, but there's no way of knowing how many copies those girls made._

A loud knock could be heard at the apartment door and it reminded Shizu that she had promised to spend half of the day with Gokudera. She grudgingly got off of her bed and rummaged in her dresser for a pair of jeans and a shirt. The girl clipped two strands of hair back away from either side of her face and frowned. She heard Isabelle walking to the apartment door and it was followed by her squealing. Now wondering if it was Yamamoto at the door, Shizu walked out of her bedroom.

"I can't believe you brought this! You're so sweet!" Isabelle was holding a somewhat large box, positively beaming. Standing beside her was a familiar, grinning blonde boy. "Look, Shizu! Ken brought us a cake!"

Shizu crossed her arms, suddenly a bit self-conscious in her tight grey t-shirt. "Isa, you're not eating that for breakfast."

"What?! But _you_ didn't make anything! I'm hungry, Shizu!"

"One piece can't hurt," Ken insisted. "I want some too. This is supposed to be really good. The best one they had at the bakery." He tilted his head and took a step closer to Shizu, a grin spreading across his face. "Wow! You have four piercings in each ear? That looks so cool!"

The girl took a few steps back quickly, blushing pink. "Er…well it's not meant to be cool. It's just something I wanted. When I was a kid, my mother told me that she had piercings like these when she was young so when I turned thirteen I pierced them myself."

"Shizu's pretty hardcore," Isabelle spoke up. She carried the cake to the kitchen and started to slice it, ignoring her friend's scolding look. "She pierced her own ears with a pin and she has this mean-looking bat that she used to carry around everywhere."

"It's not as if I did it for no reason," Shizu argued. "Your parents gave me that as a gift."

"It's a stupid gift. They should have given you something better. Something _prettier_."

"Speaking of pretty…" Ken's grin grew. "I brought a gift for each of you." He tossed a small box to Isabelle, who caught it with a big smile on her face.

She lifted the lid and squealed in delight. "What a pretty ribbon! Look, Shizu; it's that rose pink that I love! Thank you, Ken!"

He turned toward Shizu, holding out another small box. "Open it. You're going to love this."

The dark-haired girl snorted. "I feel like I should have gotten a gift for _you_ now. What would you like; a tennis ball or a chew toy?"

"Don't tempt me," Ken said with a short laugh.

The lid came off and she frowned. "Hm. Why would you get me something like this?" she inquired, lifting a black cat-ear headband.

"Put it on! It's going to be great!"

"You have to, Shizu! It's going to be _adorable_!" Isabelle rushed over and lifted the headband, carefully settling it on top of her friend's head.

"Are you serious?" Shizu's shoulders drooped. "Okay. So how does it look? Do I look half as ridiculous as I feel?"

Ken patted her head, blushing slightly. "You're adorable, Shizu! Best five hundred yen I've ever spent!"

"You look so cute, Shizu!" Isabelle pouted a little. "I'm actually jealous now. They don't make blonde cat-ear headbands." Her phone began to ring and the girl grinned. "Oh! It's Daddy! I'll be right back! I have to ask him something important!"

Shizu watched her friend walk down the hall to her room and her frown deepened. "So why the cat ears? And why are you here so early?"

"What? I can't visit my friends in the morning?"

"What about Chikusa and Mukuro? Aren't _they_ your friends?" she asked.

"They're boring; I see them every day." Ken looked from the hallway back to Shizu and blushed again. "Wow. You look cuter than I thought you would. Just like a little stray cat."

"Sh-shut up about that. You look as scruffy as the last time I saw you." Shizu grimaced when he ruffled her short black hair.

"You think _I'm_ scruffy? Have you looked in a mirror yet?" The boy frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Mukuro's going to be mad that I came here today so at least be nice to me," he muttered.

 _Why is Mukuro going to be mad? Why should he care where you go?_ Then it dawned on her. "You live with Mukuro and Chikusa, don't you?"

"And Chrome. You haven't met her though. She's just as boring as they are." Ken slowly began to grin. "I know! Let's go do something fun! Let's go to a park and we can go for a walk!"

She snorted. "You sound so much like a dog right now."

"Oh yeah?" He gently pushed her against the apartment door, leaning his face down so it was inches from hers. "Want me to bite you?" he teased.

"Hm. Rather not. Don't know if you've had all your shots." Shizu snickered as he pulled away, blushing and tilting his head in confusion. Isabelle returned just then and grinned. "Hm? What? Did your parents raise the allowance amount?"

"Yes, but this is even better! Ken mentioned that you wanted a dog-" At this, Shizu turned to glare at the boy. "And my parents said we can get one! They're going to send some money for pet supplies, but they said we can go pick one out today if we want! Let's go!"

"Are you serious? We can't just go get a random one! And are you sure you're okay with getting a dog? You've never had one before. Do you know how to take care of one?"

"No, but I know _you_ know how to! You're always reading. So let's go get a puppy!"

Shizu grimaced, but was glad that her mind was at least off of cake for now. "Fine, but we're getting breakfast on the way there."

"That's fine! Are you going to wear your cat ears?"

"You have to. I spent five hundred yen on those," Ken spoke up.

"Ugh. Fine." Shizu opened the apartment door and frowned at the two boys standing there. "Uh…are you looking for _him_?" she asked, pointing at Ken.

Mukuro half-smiled. "Kufufu~ So this is where he ran off to. Sorry about him. He's always running off on his own." Beside him, Chikusa wore an annoyed expression. "Ken, what brings you here so early in the day? Were you visiting Isabelle?"

"Uh. Yeah. That's it. I was visiting Isabelle." The blonde boy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He looked guilty and silently hoped that no one asked about the cat ears she was wearing. "How did you even find me?"

"I followed you," Chikusa replied simply. "I told you not to bother them so early."

"Hm?" Mukuro stepped closer to Shizu and reached to one of the cat ears atop her head, rubbing it gently. "How cute. Just like a kitten. Am I making you blush, little Shizu?"

To her embarrassment, she really was blushing and turned away quickly. "I just blush easily. Doesn't matter. Anyway, we were just leaving."

"Where to? Mind if we come along?"

"Yes! Come with!" Isabelle exclaimed, pushing Shizu out of her way.

Ken steadied her from falling and swiftly released her arm. The dark-haired girl bit the inside of her cheek as remnants of her dream came rushing back to her. The terrifying nightmare of a shadow person with Mukuro's voice. It had been so close to her and had even kissed her. Thinking of it now made Shizu bow her head. _Don't think about it. Put those thoughts out of your head; they'll only distract you from keeping Isabelle safe._

After eating, Isabelle led the way to a local pet store in hopes of finding a puppy. What the store had was a massive amount of kittens and one three-year-old black Labrador. Isabelle stared at the kittens longingly for a moment before turning her attention to the dog. It was a female and its brown eyes held a strange sort of sadness that made the girl's sky blue eyes fill with tears. "Shizu, we _need_ this one!" she called. The shop owner frowned in confusion at her Italian words.

Shizu had been absently watching two kittens take turns pouncing on a toy mouse. _Why can't we get one of these? These are adorable._ Remembering the cat-ear headband she was wearing, she suddenly realized why the kittens had stopped to stare up at her. "What is that?" she asked, turning away from the felines.

"Well this one is actually a return. A family adopted her when she was a puppy, but brought her back earlier today. We were going to take her to the animal shelter, but if _you_ want her…" the store owner started.

"We'll take her!" Isabelle exclaimed, hugging the dog.

"I guess we'll take her," Shizu translated for the clerk. She handed some money to the man and turned back to the kittens. They were on their back legs and had started to reach for her through the bars of their cage. _I wish I could take you home. You're so cute. But that poor dog…she's older. She would have trouble getting a new home, I'm sure._ The girl tensed as something slipped around her neck and tightened for a second. When it hung loosely around her neck, she felt something small, cold and metallic against her skin. Shizu's hand went to the metal and felt it. It was round in shape and flat.

"Kufufu~ I got you a gift. I thought it would look good on you." Mukuro half-smiled when Shizu turned around and held up a small mirror. "Well? What do you think?"

She looked at her reflection and realized that he had buckled a black leather collar around her neck, a small license hanging from it. "Why would you get me this? It's creepy."

He tilted his head, drawing closer to her. "What makes it creepy? Isn't it the same as a necklace or a cat-ear headband? You let Ken give you a gift so why not accept mine~?" Mukuro lifted her chin with one finger, a flicker of amusement in his bi-colored eyes.

The girl wanted to bite her lower lip in nervousness. This situation reminded her of her nightmare and it made her shiver. Summoning up her courage, Shizu met his gaze with a fierce glare. "A collar is not the same as a necklace or a cat-ear headband. Why does it need to be a collar? Do you know how this looks? It has a _bondage_ feel to it."

Smirking down at the girl, he leaned in closer. "Kufufu~ What's wrong with bondage?" The space between them was finally closed as he moved down to her ear, nipping lightly. "I think you would look cute, tied up with a black ribbon. The sounds you would make~"

Shizu pulled away quickly, a hand going to her ear as she felt he had drawn blood with a sharp, hard bite. "Wh-what the hell are you saying?! I'm not…like that! I'm not like that at all! I would never-!"

"But you're okay with Hibari blackmailing you? Ken told me that a prefect was blackmailing you, little Shizu. Who could it be other than _him_? But if you wear this," he started, a hand going to the license hanging from her collar. "If you wear this around him, it will show him that you don't belong to him. Wouldn't that be better than losing something precious to someone like Hibari?"

The girl took a step back to try to pull free, but he gripped the collar and dragged her close. Shizu's mouth was covered by his, one of his arms wrapping around her to pin her against him. She put her hands on his chest, intending to push him away, but the kiss was making her knees weak. She felt like she was melting into his hold, gripping tightly to his jacket to keep herself standing. When he broke the kiss and smirked down at her, she bit her lip and glared. "Wearing this collar doesn't make me yours. Got it?"

"You're so cold, Shizu~"

"It…takes more work than that to make me want to be with someone. And I can't date anyway. My job doesn't allow it." She continued to glare, silently daring him to insist.

Mukuro simply patted her cheek. "Whatever you say."

When Shizu walked over to join Isabelle, she tried not to frown. _That was creepy. That was really, really creepy. This is why I hate guys; they're always like that. They always want something and they're always weird about it. Like that creepy Hibari._ She absently toyed with the license around her neck and wondered if it would really deter the prefect from touching her again.

"Whoa. Why are you wearing a collar?" Isabelle asked, in the middle of picking one out for the dog. "Don't tell me you think that's fashionable."

"No. Ugh. Mukuro gave it to me as a gift. Does it look that bad?"

"Not bad. Just weird." The blonde snickered to herself. "A collar, huh? So _kinky_! Did he get a leash to go with it?"

Shizu ran fingers through her hair, trying not to blush. "It's not like that."

"He keeps staring at you. I think he just wanted to see you wear a collar." She giggled. "What? Is he into that kind of thing? Isn't that sort of weird? Like you're his pet." Seeing Shizu's face turn red, Isabelle laughed a bit more and patted her on the head. "You're not though; you're _my_ pet, right?"

"Yeah." She hated it when Isabelle said it that way. Normally, the blonde would only say that when she was feeling jealous, but this seemed to be just to taunt Shizu. "I'm surprised you're not talking to Ken more. I thought you liked him."

"I do! I mean, he's pretty cute. I just like Yamamoto more. Besides, his scar kind of makes me sick."

 _Did you really say that out loud? He's standing just a few feet away._ Shizu said nothing in reply, anxiously fidgeting with the collar now. She could feel Mukuro watching her and saw from the corner of her eye that Chikusa had moved to stand beside him. They were talking, but it was very quiet. It made her uneasy in a way that made her want to run away.


	12. Chapter 12

The girl was infuriating, but that was fine. He liked a challenge. In fact, he rather enjoyed watching her exchanges with Ken. He knew the blonde liked her; he was almost constantly blushing and was flirting with her. Even though Ken knew she belonged to him. Mukuro walked behind them, a half-smile plastered on his face as he tried to keep up the content façade. He did have a few things to be happy about. She had accepted his gift and seeing her wear it stirred certain urges within him. Urges that would surely frighten her if he acted on them right this moment. After all, as far as she knew, they had only met around three times. She was unaware that he had been watching her since the day they met.

"Are you okay with that?" Chikusa quietly asked, walking beside him.

"Why do you ask? Do I look angry to you?" No answer was offered. Mukuro had not expected an answer. Watching Shizu, he found himself looking her up and down. His bi-colored eyes paused at her hips, watching them sway as she walked. Whether she was aware of it or not, he was uncertain. It was a pleasing sight, but he wished that Chikusa was not beside him and able to see it as well. The girl was proving to be rather enticing without even trying.

"The collar's cute, but it would be better with a little bell," Ken remarked, reaching to touch the black leather collar around Shizu's neck. He laughed when she frowned and softly protested. "You really look like a kitten now though. Like I want to take you home with me," the boy teased.

Mukuro moved quickly to come up beside Shizu and gently took the dangling license in his fingers. "Kufufu~ Are we talking about petting this cute little kitten? If we are, I think I should have the first turn, don't you? I did collar her after all." He saw the girl's face turning pink and smirked. "Shizu? Why are you blushing? Are you imagining being stroked by-?"

"L-look, just stop. It's annoying. And it's not appropriate. Isa and I need to hurry home anyway; we're meeting someone for lunch." Her voice was raspy and low. He loved it.

He tilted his head and let his fingertips wander along her throat for a moment. "What a shame. I would have liked to get you alone for a while~" When she pulled away, blushing furiously, he allowed himself a frown. Who was she planning to meet with? He would need to follow her to make certain that no one tried to claim what was his.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Sorry we're late." She perched on the stool beside Gokudera's at the ramen bar, Isabelle sitting on her other side. _If we hadn't adopted that dog today, we would have been here sooner._

"Gokudera, look at Shizu's new necklace." Isabelle grinned when his eyes widened. "Right? Super kinky~"

"Isabelle, please don't."

The boy grimaced and sipped his water, averting his eyes. "Where the hell did you get that? Is that some new fashion thing? It's stupid."

Shizu toyed with the license, frowning. "I know. It's stupid. But it was a gift. Supposedly, it's going to give me better luck at school." She slouched a bit on her seat. _That's the best way of putting it. Mukuro said that it would make Hibari leave me alone. I don't really understand it, but if it helps me then why question it?_

"Who would give you something like that? It's creepy."

At this, the blonde girl's grin got bigger. "A _boy_ gave it to her!"

"What the hell?! Who was it?" Gokudera demanded, anger building his eyes as he looked at Shizu. Whoever it was, he was quickly becoming jealous. Seeing her wearing the collar was already making his heart beat faster, but to know that it was given to her by another boy made him outright irritated. Now his mind wandered to the worst sort of thoughts. Thoughts of her with another boy, sprawled beneath him on a bed, her face bright pink and her eyes half-closed. The boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat, hoping neither of the girls noticed that his mood had changed. He wanted her alone very badly in this moment.

Shizu ordered for herself and Isabelle before settling back into her thoughts. _The dog will need walked when we get home. Is there anyone I could send back with Isabelle? I don't really want her to feel awkward about hanging out with me and Gokudera._ Her sharp amber eyes shifted to the boy and she half-grinned. _He looks cute when he blushes. But because of what Isabelle said, he probably thinks I'm some kind of pervert now._

"So who gave you that stupid collar?" he asked once they had eaten. Isabelle had met up with Kyoko and Hana, who promised to get her home safely, so now he was finally alone with Shizu. There were many things that he wanted to do, but he knew that if he voiced all of them that she might leave in disgust or anger.

"Hm? Well certainly no one special," she replied in her sweet yet raspy voice. It was true. Mukuro was just someone she knew. Someone she had talked to only a few times. Why he had given her such a strange gift was still sort of a mystery. He had said it looked good on her, but gave no further explanation. _Although he did kiss me. That was weird. He's only seen me a few times so why would he do something like that? We're practically strangers._

Gokudera gripped her upper arm tightly, turning her to look at him. He was blushing faintly and that made her blush back. "Look, don't take gifts from people! You don't know what kind creep he might have been!"

"I guess you have a point." The girl smirked. "But do I detect jealousy?"

"What is there to be jealous of?"

"Nothing. If you don't care that some boy put a collar on me and called me a 'cute little kitten'." She snickered as the anger grew in his eyes. Shizu still had a crush on him, but since they so rarely got time alone together, she was just having fun teasing him. _If Isabelle hadn't left, I couldn't do this. She would make fun of me and say I should date him. I can't do that though._

They had been walking down the street and paused now in front of a coffee shop. "What the hell?! You didn't mention that!"

"Hm. Didn't think it was important. And anyway, there's nothing special about it." She raised an eyebrow. "What?" The girl snorted. "Are you really jealous? What? You want to pet me like a 'cute little kitten'?" she taunted.

He pinned her against the wall suddenly, one hand planted beside her head as the other continued to hold her by the upper arm. There was a dangerous gleam to his eyes as he leaned down so his face was inches from hers. "Don't tempt me, Nanase," Gokudera said in a heated sort of growl.

Shizu froze in place, her amber eyes wide in alarm. "Heh…getting awfully close, aren't you? So what do you want to do now? I have some free time before I need to make dinner for Isabelle." She tried to duck under his arm and get away, but he tightened his grip until she winced with pain. It was sure to leave a bruise, though that seemed very low on his list of concerns.

For an instant, Gokudera's expression turned fierce. He slowly seemed to come down from it and leaned his head against the wall, just over her shoulder. "Do you like me or not?!"

"Wait…what? Why are you asking that right now?"

He pulled back enough to meet her gaze and his eyes narrowed. "We're on a date, damn it! This was supposed to be a date! How dense can you be?!"

Shizu's heart skipped a beat when she looked into his green eyes. They were full of a number of emotions but what stood out most was his pain, his confusion, his yearning. Almost like a hunger that threatened to gnaw away at his very sanity. "Hm? I wouldn't say I'm dense. I'm just… _willfully blind_." She saw his confusion increasing and frowned. "But I _do_ like you. I like you a lot. But I can't date anyone. Ever." Catching despair in his expression, Shizu leaned up to close the distance between them. Her lips pressed against his and she was vaguely reminded of when she kissed him for that photo, days ago. Only this time, his arms went around her and he kissed back.

Gokudera loved the feeling of her lips against his and the way her hands threaded into his hair. It sent a pleasant sort of shiver to run up his spine and his hips pressed tightly against hers. He had wanted this for a while now and to finally feel it was something that made his heart race. This moment was one that he would never forget and one that he never wanted to end. Unfortunately, he had to part from her and when he did, he saw her blushing red. "What? It's not like that was your first kiss," he growled, trying to not show how much he enjoyed it.

She snorted. "You're one to talk. Have you seen how red your face is? What? Were you waiting long for something like that?"

"Sh-shut up, Nanase!" He gripped her collar and dragged her close to latch his mouth onto hers once more.

 **Shift P.O.V**

It was such a shame. It really was. He observed Shizu kissing Gokudera from afar, his mouth falling to a frown. The kiss soon turned into something more. Making out was one way of putting it, but he thought it could also count as foreplay. Which was too close to claiming her for his comfort. He watched them calmly, his mind filling with all sorts of ways to frighten Gokudera away from her. At the same time, he wondered if perhaps he should find a way to punish Shizu for cheating on him. After all, he had recently learned what she hated most.

Thinking about her triggered something in Mukuro. He remembered what he had said to her in the pet shop, about tying her up with black ribbon. Images filled his head now as he watched the girl lean up to kiss Gokudera again. _You're playing such a dangerous game, little Shizu~_

"Can we leave yet? I don't think they're going anywhere else," Chikusa spoke up.

Beside him, Ken was trying not to stare and scratched at the back of his neck. He was just as irritated as Mukuro and as much as that made Mukuro mad, he knew he could use it to his advantage. "Kufufu~ You're right. They won't be going anywhere else. I want you to escort her back to her apartment and make sure that she stays there."

"What?! She's so happy with _him_ , what makes you think that she'll go with _us_?" Ken demanded, his anger finally peaking.

"You know her weakness. Use it."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Shizu was reluctant to leave Gokudera, but when it was made clear that Ken and Chikusa would not leave her alone, she felt obligated to go. Especially when they talked about spending time with Isabelle. She knew it would make her friend happy. Male attention always did. After watching a few movies and eating dinner with them, Shizu was feeling exhausted. _Why did they have to interrupt me though? I was happy when I was spending time with Gokudera. I could forget my duties as a bodyguard._

Night was falling so she changed into her pajamas and settled beneath her blanket. The apartment door and her bedroom door were both locked and Isabelle had retired to her room so she could call Yamamoto before going to bed. Shizu hoped it would work out between them. She only wanted to see Isabelle happy; it would mean she had done her job. Her eyes closed and she sighed. "Just sleep…just sleep…just forget everything and sleep…" The darkness cradled her into a light slumber that was interrupted by something horrific.

She woke to the feeling of a weight on her hips, pressing down on her and pinning her to the bed on her back. Teeth scraped over her neck and sent a shiver down her spine. Shizu's eyes snapped open and she saw it straddling her waist; the living darkness that had haunted her before. She had to be brave. She just had to. Mustering up all of her courage, the girl spoke to it. "Wh-what do you want? Who are you? And how did you get in here?"

A mouth took form in the darkness' face. It smiled down at her in a malicious, almost demonic sort of way that made her begin to tremble. "I am your soul mate," it replied simply in a distorted voice. "And you belong to me. When I see something that belongs to me being pawed by another man, it makes me very disappointed. Why would you let someone else touch you when I clearly told you that you belong to me? Are you trying to anger me?" Its head tilted and a cold hand caressed the side of her face, raising goose bumps on her pale skin.

"I-I don't belong to you," she stated defiantly. "I don't belong to any man." Her voice was low, not wanting to wake Isabelle. _This is just a nightmare. It has to be._

The smile seemed to grow even more sinister as red eyes opened in the face. Eyes that reminded her s of that man she so despised. "You belong to _me_ , trash." The voice that spoke now was not the one from before. This was a voice she knew from when she stormed the Varia base. The voice that had taunted her and laughed at her.

"I will fucking _kill_ you, Xanxus!" Shizu lifted a hand to strike him, but he caught it in his free hand and pinned it over her head on the pillow. Her fury was ignited as his body took shape above her, smirking down at the girl. "You fucking monster! I will tear you apart for deflowering her! I'll make you regret ever being born! I'll tear out your beating heart and feed it to you!"

The transformation was complete; it was now Xanxus in place of the living darkness, smirking down at her in the dark bedroom. "What are you going to do? You're pathetic. Just like your friend. Taking your virginity would be too easy." He took her left wrist into his hand with her right one and kept them pinned down tightly. "Don't let anyone else touch you, trash. Do you know what I will do to anyone that touches you? I'll tear them apart."

Glaring up into his crimson eyes, Shizu shook her head. "You're not real! This is a nightmare! I know it is!"

"You don't know _anything_!" he roared back at her. He smelled of alcohol, as he had when she had attacked him. It only enraged her further. Seeing this in her amber eyes, his smirk grew. "Go ahead and test me, trash. If I see that brat Gokudera touch you again, I'll kill him. I'll kill anyone that gets close to you."

"You're…not…real…" Shizu gritted her teeth as his free hand traced along her face. "Let me go! Let me go so I can kill you!" Her whole body thrashed now and in an instant, Xanxus was on the floor. He glared over at her as she reached for her spiked bat. "Don't come any closer or I'll knock your head off with this!"

The shape seemed to waver and suddenly it was just a human-shaped cloud of living darkness. It tilted its head and smirked in a far less evil way than Xanxus. "You belong to me, Shizu. Your mind, soul, and body. I'm going to have fun claiming it all for myself~"

Shizu blinked and it was gone. Her body was still trembling as she returned to her blankets, terror coursing through her. _It's not real. He isn't here. They would have told us. Right?_


	13. Chapter 13

It was an odd sort of day for a variety of reasons. Shizu was patrolling the school after classes, frowning to herself. Gokudera had only been in class for the first half of the day and vanished during lunch. _What was his problem? Did I embarrass him yesterday or something?_ She stretched her arms over her head and sighed as she began to wonder what she should make for dinner. _It depends on how many guests we have, I guess. Isabelle loves having people visit so it wouldn't surprise me if I get home to find Ken and Chikusa._

The setting sun cast an orange sort of glow upon the school that she found strangely comforting. Shizu paused at a window in the hallway and leaned against the wall to stare out at the school gate. _What is that?_ There was a figure standing near the gate, a bit too far for her to tell who it was. She squinted and frowned. _Is that Mukuro? What is he doing here?_ The boy turned his head in her direction and seemed to see her because he waved. _Why would he be here? Was he planning to walk me home?_ She blinked and he was gone. _What the hell?_

"Herbivore. You're taking too long," a voice said from the end of the hallway.

She looked at him from the corner of her eye and frowned. "We both know how this is going to end," she stated simply. "Why don't we skip the awkward foreplay and you let me go home early? It would save us both some time." The corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk. "Unless you really need your little session. Why do you do it anyway? Does it help you later, when you're lying awake at night and need something to get off to?"

He was now advancing on her, quickly and quietly, clenching a copy of the doujinshi in his hand. Hibari grabbed her arm and dragged her along down the corridor until they came to her classroom. "You act like you don't enjoy it, but I remember how you begged last time," he taunted, pausing at the door. "This isn't about you tonight, herbivore. This is about me punishing you for what you did yesterday."

Shizu bit the inside of her cheek as she glared up at him. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her heart beat a little faster, worrying ever so slightly.

Hibari's grey eyes seemed to darken. "I saw you with that stupid herbivore. Public displays of affection, out in the middle of the street, disgust me. Not to mention that you deliberately ignored my order. I told you not to let him touch you."

"What I do with Gokudera is none of your business!" she argued.

"It is my business when something of mine is being tainted by the likes of him." The door was opened and he shoved her inside. He followed and locked the door behind him before flipping through the doujinshi. "I should bite you to death for making me wait."

The girl was standing near the teacher's desk, scowling. "Just make it quick then."

His gaze lifted from the pages to her and smirked. "So you want it to be fast."

Her face turned pink instantly. "No! Not like that! Just let me leave!"

"Take off your shirt, herbivore." Hibari stared at her as her face went from pink to red. "Don't make me wait or this will be unpleasant."

She growled quietly, but unbuttoned her uniform shirt. "This is as far as I'm going."

"It's fine. For now. Tomorrow I expect it to be off when I say so." Hibari's eyes narrowed. "What is that?" He was soon standing in front of her, lifting the license on her collar with one finger.

 _Here it come! Mukuro said that this would deter him from bothering me! He'll see it and leave me alone, right?_ Shizu tried not to shiver in the chilled afternoon air of the classroom. He frowned and let it fall against her neck again. "What? You look mad," she taunted.

"Why would you let him put this on you?" he growled. The boy shoved her onto her back on the teacher's desk, glaring down at her. "Did he think that putting a collar on you would stop me? When I want something, I don't let stupid herbivores like him interfere." His hands went to his belt, unbuckling it and slipping it out of its loop. He bound her wrists with it and his smirk returned. "No one is going to interfere today. No one is going to hear you if you scream. No one is going to come looking for you." Hibari leaned down to her ear, his hands pushing her legs apart so he could get closer to her. "Remember what I said, about breaking your arms and killing that pathetic friend of yours."

Shizu closed her eyes, her fear growing. It was her worst fear, losing her purity. This situation was bad, but not nearly as bad as her nightmare. Losing her purity to Xanxus was the last thing she wanted. At least this way, with Hibari, she knew that Xanxus would never be able to take it from her. The girl's body tensed when she heard his zipper and felt something warm rubbing along her slit through her panties. As he pulled them down and off of her, Shizu braced for pain. When he froze, she opened her eyes. He was looking toward the door, at the small window set in it. Following his gaze, Shizu almost screamed.

Hibari's fingertips dug into her thighs as he stared at Mukuro, who watched them with a small smirk. "What is he doing here, Nanase?"

"I-I don't know. Why would I know?!" She was blushing red at being seen in such a position with Hibari and was even more embarrassed when the head of his member entered her. "Ngh! W-wait! Don't…don't do this in front of Mukuro!" she begged.

"You said that you wanted it fast."

"Not in front of Mukuro!"

"What? Did he say that you belong to him? Is that why your license has his name on the back of it?" Hibari gripped her collar and pulled her face up to his, delivering a vicious bite to her lower lip. "Do you want it rough and fast or slow?"

Her hips shifted in anticipation, hating herself for enjoying the feeling of him inside of her. It was only a little and they were being watched, but his flesh felt so wonderfully warm against her own skin that it made her back arch. He smirked and moved his hands to her chest, massaging her breasts through her lavender bra. She bit her lip to keep from moaning and tasted blood from where his teeth had pierced her skin. Shizu was about to shout at him to let her go when his hips thrust forward sharply. Her back arched again, a soft cry escaping her bleeding lips. His member stretched her entrance, filling her completely.

The prefect gritted his teeth to keep himself from making a sound of pleasure and withdrew a little before pushing back in, harder. He moved his hands from her chest to her hips and started to rock in and out of her in a fast rhythm that made her throw her head back. Hibari's grey eyes were locked on her face, wanting to see her expression. Her eyes were half-closed, her mouth hanging open slightly as she panted. A brief glance at the door showed that Mukuro had gone and he was glad of it. The last thing he wanted was a disturbance when he was claiming something that he had lusted after for weeks. It had been the doujinshi that finally threw him over the edge and made him determined to have her.

Looking down at the girl as he pounded his member into her warm, wet entrance, he saw her chest bounce with each thrust of his hips. He wanted to touch every inch of her, but there was such a small timeframe for this activity. The thought of making her go home with him was tempting, but then someone might really start looking for her. Though he did like the idea of having her at his home, there for him to see and touch whenever he wanted.

 **Shift P.O.V**

He had never left. In fact, he was in the room with them now. His heterochromatic eyes were full of rage as he watched the prefect drive himself deeper and deeper into the girl's once pure entrance, tainting her. Attempting to claim her as his. Mukuro smirked. He knew that the girl could never belong to Hibari; she already belonged to _him_ and there was no way that he would ever let her go. Mukuro continued to watch them for a moment, silently debating how to interrupt this. It would be ideal to stop them before Hibari hit his climax.

When the prefect pulled out of Shizu and turned her around, Mukuro spotted an interesting chance. She was facing away from Hibari now as the boy entered her once more, leaning down to whisper obscenities into her ear. Whispering everything he wanted to do to her, promising to do all of it, as one hand squeezed her right breast. Her mouth opened in a low moan and she clenched her eyes tightly shut. He could hear the wet sounds that her entrance made each time Hibari thrust into her.

Mukuro moved in front of her and lightly traced his fingers over the side of her face. The girl's eyes snapped open now and he tilted his head. "Kufufu~ Don't worry. He can't see me." She stared up at him in horrid humiliation, her face turning red. The boy behind her pushed in particularly hard and she moaned loudly before panting. "Such lewd noises~" he teased. Her eyes shifted away in shame. "I can stop him if you want me to." She nodded once. "Really? Only if you're certain that you want him to stop. You seem to be enjoying yourself~" She nodded again, firmly.

 **Shift P.O.V**

Hibari froze when he heard footsteps in the corridor. These were not the footsteps of a student or even Mukuro; it sounded very much like a teacher. Frowning, he withdrew from Shizu and zipped up his pants. His belt was retrieved and he gave her a smirk. "Don't think that this is over. We're going to do this again tomorrow. And every day after that."

Shizu was left alone in the room with Mukuro, who was now half-smiling in an almost cheerful sort of way. "Er…thanks for helping me." She quickly buttoned her shirt and pulled her panties back on. "How did you get into the school so quickly?"

He gripped her collar and pulled her close, still wearing that mischievous half-smile. "Kufufu~ I have my ways. Now I believe you owe me something."

She leaned forward, knowing what he would want already. Her lips pressed against his and she felt him smirk into the kiss. "Thanks. Hm. So why were you here anyway?" Shizu walked out of the classroom with him at her side, his hands in his pockets.

"I wanted to see you, of course. My little kitten~"

Something was bothering her now. Her thoughts were on her nightmare and she realized that the living darkness had sounded very much like Mukuro around the end of the dream, just before it vanished. "You know, I keep having nightmares with you in them."

"Oh? That's a shame."

"Also, how were you able to stand in front of me without Hibari seeing you?"

He tilted his head. "I just have a very unique ability. So did you like it?" Watching her face go red, his smirk returned. "Did you like having him inside of you? Was it your first time? How did it feel?"

She bit her lip and ran fingers through her short, scruffy black hair. "Why do you want to know? You wish it was _you_ that he was penetrating?" Shizu teased.

"Hm. I would have rather been him, penetrating you," he answered honestly.

This made her blush again. "I'm not going to talk about this with you, Mukuro."

"Fine." He seemed content for a moment and then brightened even more. "If it had been me, you would have been tied up with black ribbon~"

The rest of the walk home was filled with more embarrassing talk and by the time they reached her apartment, Shizu was ready to crawl deep into a hole in the ground and never emerge. After eating dinner with Isabelle, she settled on the couch in the living room with her phone and called Gokudera's number. Their dog, who had been named Lucy by Isabelle, flopped onto her side on Shizu's lap and sighed. "Hey! What happened to you today?" she asked his voicemail. "You can't just leave in the middle of the day! Call me back!"

Isabelle's phone started to ring just as Shizu hung up. The blonde lounged in an arm chair, letting her legs hang over one arm as she leaned against the other, and beamed as she answered the phone. "It's _you_! I can't believe it! How long has it been? What? No, I'm in Japan. Namimori, I think. Huh? Oh, really?! That would be _amazing_! Yeah, Shizuki is here! What? No, I don't think so. Oh! We got a dog yesterday! No, she's not a guard dog; she's just a rescue one! Anyway, I'm so _excited_ now! Huh? Yeah, I've been talking to a few boys, but none of them are like you! You're a million times better! Wait…what? Okay! Yeah, I'll tell her. Why though? What? Hm…okay! Hey, let's have dinner or something when you get here! Alright! Ciao!"

Shizu, who had been only half-listening as she stroked the dog's ears, looked over at her friend now. "Who was that? Your parents?"

The blonde grinned happily. "Nope! It was _him_! He's going to come visit next week!"

"Him? Wait. Isabelle, that wasn't-"

"It was _Xanxus_ , of course! Who else would I be so happy to talk to? He said I should tell you that he's coming! I don't know why he thinks you would care about that though."

"Because your parents sent us away to hide from _him_! What the hell were you thinking?! How does he have your number anyway?"

Isabelle shrugged. "Don't know. Well, I need to put together some outfits for next week. We already decided to go on a date when he gets here!"

Shizu watched her go down the hallway and sighed in irritation. _What the hell? Why did this day need to get even worse? As if losing my virginity wasn't bad enough._ Her phone started to ring and she saw Tsuna's phone number. "What's up, Tsuna?"

"Nanase, have you seen Gokudera? He never came back from lunch and he isn't answering his phone."

"Hm? That's weird." She stood, forcing the dog to move aside. "Here. Mind if I try calling him? I tried earlier, but maybe..."

"Alright. Let me know if he answers, okay? We're really worried."

She hung up and tried Gokudera's phone number next. _Pick up. You need to pick up. It's me. I won't get mad at you._ She heard the sharp click of the phone being answered and almost jumped. "Gokudera! What the hell? Why did you ignore my call? And Tsuna's?"

There was a sound of ragged breathing, followed by a grunt. "Nanase?"

"What's wrong? You sound injured."

"I need help. Don't tell the Tenth."

"Tsuna? I won't tell him. What happened? Where are you?" Shizu was already putting on a grey hooded jacket and moving toward Isabelle's door. She gestured toward the apartment door and her friend nodded her understanding. "I'm coming to you. Tell me where you are."

There was a pause and a rustling sound. "The baseball field at the school. Don't ask."

"I won't. I'm bringing some bandages. How bad is it?"

"I said not to ask, idiot!" Despite his anger, he sounded truly pained.


	14. Chapter 14

As Shizu made her way back to the school, she had a deep and unsettling feeling of being watched. She gripped her bat in one hand, the spikes currently withdrawn into its interior, and almost hoped that someone would try to attack her. After receiving the news that Xanxus would be visiting Japan, and seeing Isabelle's reaction, she knew she could stand to relieve some stress. Preferably by beating someone's face into a pulpy mess.

Arriving at the baseball field, she found Gokudera sitting against the fence. She couched down and cringed at his wounds. "Hm? What happened to you? Did your gang friends get pissed off at you or something?" Shizu asked, tilting her head.

He spat blood into the grass and scowled. "Just give me the damn bandages, Nanase. It's none of your business." The boy accepted the roll of gauze from her and set about wrapping his own wounds.

The more she stared, the more she realized that the beating had come from a blunt instrument. _Not from knives? Wouldn't gang members use knives usually?_ Shizu tapped the end of her bat against the ground, her frown unwavering. "So who was it? Just tell me so I know whose ass I have to kick." To her delight, he snickered. "Hm? What? Did I say something funny just now?"

"You couldn't kick anyone's ass," he stated.

"You want to try me? This bat was the first weapon given to me by the Capellos. The first weapon I trained with. It's the same weapon that got me drafted for the Disciplinary Committee. So you want to try me when I'm holding this bat?"

"Shut up." Gokudera pushed himself to stand and his eyes widened when she grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him close to her. "Wh-what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Tell me who did this to you," Shizu growled in her raspy voice. He tried to pull away, but she would not let go of him.

He gritted his teeth and turned his head to the side. "Fine! Just let go of me before someone sees!" Though his words perplexed her, Shizu obeyed and took a step back. "It was that prefect, okay? He called me out during lunch and _this_ happened! You know what he said to me? He said to stay away from you! He said you're his! You're not dating that creep, are you?!"

She leaned on one hip and ran her fingers through her short black hair. "Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with that-? Urgh! No, I'm not dating him! Like I would date someone like that creep." Shizu started out of the baseball field, but froze when she heard the soft thud of footsteps crossing the field. Even in the darkness, she was able to see the outlines of five boys around Gokudera's height. "Hey! What do you want? We don't have any money on us!" she called, hoping it would deter the boys.

Gokudera grabbed Shizu's arm and tried to push her behind him, but she scowled and refused. "Stay behind me, you idiot! I'm not going to let you get hurt!"

One of the boys rushed forward ahead of the others and Shizu took the opportunity to sprint to meet him before Gokudera could stop her. The boy had a knife that glinted in the faint moonlight as he raised it and prepared to stab the girl. Shizu lifted her bat with both hands and smashed it against the top of his head. The tip of his tongue was bitten off, blood running down his chin. He was stunned momentarily, giving her enough time to bash him in the side of the head with all of her strength. Blood painted the ground beneath him as his body convulsed.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Gokudera demanded, suddenly at her side as the others advanced. "You don't even know what they want! What if-?"

"Innocent people don't carry knives and cyanide tablets. You think my bat killed him? Take a look at his mouth. It's poison." She adjusted her grip on the bat and smirked. "I was hoping for something like this. I had a bad day. I can't think of a better way to cheer myself up."

"Don't get yourself killed, Nanase!" The two parted and Gokudera withdrew a handful of dynamite from an inner pocket of his shirt.

Shizu ran at one boy and turned her bat, forcing the end of the handle into his nose and pushing hard. His nose shattered and bone splinters went into his brain, his body falling to the ground. Twisting in time to avoid being punched by another boy, she activated the bat's spikes and buried them deep into his chest. They punctured his ribcage and she grinned before pulling the bat free, blood splattering her pale face. _The last time I had this much fun was when I attacked that jerk Xanxus! I forgot how good it feels to fight without restraint!_ She turned and saw the two remaining boys. One of them was already sprawled on the ground, screaming in pain. The other was standing with his back to her, glaring at Gokudera.

"This was supposed to be easy! He said there was only one person here and they were injured! This is a fucking set up!" the assailant muttered.

The girl moved quickly behind him, pressing a spike against his neck. "What are you talking about? Who sent you here? Was it a prefect?" she hissed in the boy's ear.

Gokudera started forward, but stopped when she glared at him. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"I need to know who sent these idiots!" Shizu pressed the spike closer against the boy's flesh. _What he was saying…it means that someone sent them here to attack Gokudera. Who would do that?! I don't understand why this is happening! But I can't forgive someone for trying to hurt my friend!_

The boy gasped, his body shaking terribly in her hold. "I-I'll tell you! Just let me-!" There was a soft crunching sound and his body jerked once before going limp.

"Damn it!" Shizu dropped him onto the ground, delivering a hard kick to the boy's ribs. "If you hadn't interrupted, he might have told me!"

"Why is it so damn important?! We got them all! It's over!"

"You don't know that!" She sank to her knees in the grass, feeling absolutely exhausted. _That caused more stress than I thought it would. I just need to get home and rest. That's it._

Gokudera stood beside her, scowling at the five bodies that littered the baseball field. "What are we going to do with these?! We can't just leave them lying around! You didn't need to kill them, you idiot!" He gritted his teeth when she glared up at him with her bright amber eyes. "I don't like worrying about people! Don't rush into things like that again!"

She snickered and lowered her gaze to her spiked bat. There was blood and a bit of brain matter on it. "Do you think it was Hibari?"

"He wouldn't do this; he would have tried to kill me himself if he wanted me dead."

"How are your wounds?"

"I'm fine! Stop worrying about me!" he snapped.

"I can't help it." Shizu sighed and pushed herself to stand. A flick of her bat sent the blood and brain matter onto the ground, the metal shining clean in the moonlight now. "I've never trusted men, you know. Never been close to boys. Never had friends other than my mother and Isabelle. You're the first guy that I've been able to trust. If something happened to you, I don't know how it would affect me. I don't want to find out."

He followed her off of school grounds and the two stood for a moment at a street corner. "What are we going to do about the bodies?"

"Hm." A frown took form on her pale pink lips. "I'm sure Hibari saw all of that and will take care of them. He did last time."

"What do you mean last time?!" Gokudera quickly pieced it together. "You killed someone that night? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Shizu looked away, gritting her teeth for a moment. "Two boys tried to lure Isabelle behind the school to do something awful. I swore to protect her. Hurting them would never be enough; they might try it again. Even if it was with another girl, how could I live with myself knowing that I didn't stop them?" She sighed and ruffled her short black hair. "You know what? I don't care if you're disgusted by me or if you hate me. I was never meant to care about anyone but Isabelle." She started to walk away, but felt a hand grip her upper arm. "What do you want?"

"Why does your life have to revolve around that prissy little princess?!"

Her eyes lifted to his and she tilted her head. "Hm. I think I was just born to serve someone else. That seems to be it. I was born to fight and serve someone else. You feel compelled to protect Tsuna, right? It's the same with me and Isabelle." Shizu pulled her arm free and started off down the street alone.

She was a few blocks from home when she felt someone watching her. It raised goose bumps on her skin and she chewed the inside of her cheek anxiously. _Who is watching me? If it's Hibari, I'll have to teach him not to mess with me. I can't bring my bat to school with me, but if I catch him off school grounds…_

"Ciaossu, Nanase." The voice sounded like that of a child and came from around the corner. Someone stepped into view. They were quite short and tipped their fedora in greeting to her as the girl frowned. "I saw your fight at the school. Very impressive, just like last time."

Shizu squinted in the darkness. "Do I know you?"

"You don't, but I've heard a lot about you. Nanase Shizuki."

"Hm. I prefer Shizu, thanks. And you're…?"

"Reborn." He stepped closer and Shizu crouched down to his level, not threatened in the least by his presence. "Tsuna and Hibari have both said good things about you."

She scowled. "What do you mean? Why would either of them-?"

"The Vongola family. You should consider joining. You can even bring along your princess. I'm sure she would be thrilled. After all, isn't she in love with Xanxus?"

Shizu stood now and took a step back. "You're with _him_?! Did he send you? That fucking _coward_! I'll rip out his intestines and force them down his throat!"

Reborn smiled. "I like your enthusiasm, but try to refrain from killing members of the Vongola family. He didn't send me, by the way. I happened to see an interesting circumstance and sent those boys as a test."

"What?! What if I hadn't been there? They could have killed Gokudera!"

"I knew you would show up. He didn't want Tsuna to think he was weak so I knew he would call you. I knew you would come because you have feelings for him." Reborn met her gaze directly now, holding her amber eyes with his dark ones. "All the more reason for you to join. If you join the Vongola family, your princess will be better off." Seeing her blood-splattered face, arms, and shirt, he recalled her expression when she had been killing. "You'll have more opportunities like the one tonight. You look like you could use the stress relief."

She rolled her eyes. "If I join, how will things change?"

"Just join."

"That's all you have to say?" She stared down at him for a moment and sighed. "Yeah. Fine. I'm too tired to care right now anyway." A thought crossed her mind as she narrowed her eyes, her mouth twisting into a deep frown. "What did Hibari say about me?"

Still smiling, Reborn replied, "He said you're his woman."

When Shizu arrived back at the apartment, she was greeted by the black Labrador and saw that Isabelle's bedroom door was closed. "Hey there, Lucy." She rubbed the dog's ears, locked the apartment door and made her way to her bedroom. The dog followed her and jumped onto the bed, tilting its head and panting. "What? Really? You want to sleep in here? It's plain compared to Isa's room." In response, the canine rolled around on the blanket.

The girl changed into her pajamas and went to the bathroom to wash the blood off of her face and weapon. _This day has been way too long_ , she thought as she blinked at her reflection. _I killed people. I joined a mafia family. And weirdest of all…_ Her cheeks turned bright pink. _I lost my virginity today._ A knock at the bathroom door made her jump a little. "What do you need?"

"Are we really not going to talk about the fact that you're acting weird today?" Isabelle asked, leaning against the door. "Look, I have something that you're going to love. Come to the living room when you're done doing whatever. Also, have you seen Lucy?"

"Lucy's in my room for some reason," Shizu replied. She heard Isabelle walk away and shook her head. The girl found Isabelle pouring two glasses of red wine and frowned. "Where did you get that?"

"Don't be such a _prude_ , Shizu! And anyway…he sends me stuff sometimes."

"What part of 'don't contact or interact with him' didn't you-? Urgh! Never mind!" She sipped the wine and leaned back against the couch cushions as the dog jumped up to sit on her lap. "So what was it you wanted to talk about?"

Isabelle was beaming. "You _did it_ , right? You lost your virginity today! I could tell when you got home from school! You've been acting weird the past few days and it finally _happened_ , right?!" She was gradually leaning closer and closer.

Shizu frowned. "Yeah, but it was nothing spectacular."

"What are you talking about?! It's a life-changing event, Shizu! How could you say it was nothing spectacular? What, was he just really bad at it?"

Her face turned red. "N-no. He was…actually really good. Damn it! I didn't want it to happen this way though! It wasn't even someone that I have a crush on so-!"

"Who was it?! Wait, were you attacked or something?"

She absently toyed with the license around her neck. "No. Not really. I just…I don't know. It was Hibari."

"You lost your virginity to that prefect?! What was it like?"

Her amber eyes half-closed as she sighed in frustration. "I mean, it was good. It felt really good. He kept talking to me the whole time and…look, I'm not discussing this with you right now, Isa. I'm really tired." She blushed again. "N-not because of _him_ though! Don't look at me that way!" She hurried to her bedroom and slammed the door, flopping on the mattress on her back. _Why did it have to feel so good?! If it was bad, I could be angrier. I wouldn't be blushing like this. What if he tries it again? What will I do? It felt good._ She felt her heart skip a beat, remembering the way he touched her. Recalling the feeling of his skin against her, the feeling of him filling her with his warmth. Shizu closed her eyes tightly. _That bastard Hibari._

"Shiiiiiiizuuuuuu! Come on! Let's watch a movie or something! I'm so excited to see Xanxus that I can't fall asleep! Why can't it be next week already?!" Isabelle called through the door, slurring her words. Beneath the alcoholic glee, there was a deep sadness in her voice.


	15. Chapter 15

He stood near the entrance, waiting impatiently for her arrival. Normally, he would never do this. He would wait for her to come to him. A frown graced his features now as he leaned against the school building. Since the previous day, he began to crave her more. It irritated him. Finally claiming her, feeling her most intimate warmth against him, should have sated his appetite. His actions only seemed to further fuel it. He needed her. He needed to have her all to himself. Even now, as he saw her walking through the gate, he felt himself growing angry.

She was walking with her usual group of friends with Gokudera on one side of her and Isabelle on the other, clinging to her arm. What he wanted most, right in this moment, was to kill that girl. The blonde who was so attached to her. He wanted to watch her die. This was not possible, however. He knew he could not kill the girl; that would mean that Nanase was no longer bound to stay in Namimori. She would no longer have a weakness for him to use against her. Their afternoon sessions would cease and he would be left alone once more.

Nanase walked past him without acknowledging him and he smirked. Of course she would react that way. She was probably upset with him for going after her friend. Her crush. He knew that she liked Gokudera. It could not be permitted. Hibari waited for her to leave the locker area before entering the school, intending to follow her at a distance. One thing stopped him.

"Did you see?! I mean, she looks like a delinquent, but she's cute, huh?" one boy was saying to another. "The one with short black hair!"

"She's the one that the girls keep freaking out about? She doesn't look like a guy," a second boy replied, rubbing the back of his neck. He blushed pink. "She's actually really cute."

"I know, right? I mean, Isabelle's beautiful in her own way. But she seems really high maintenance, right? And her Japanese is really bad! Nanase is way more approachable and she's got that nice body. Her chest is bigger than Isabelle's, I think."

Hibari smirked again and was more than happy to turn toward the boys. The next few minutes were filled with a struggle, screams, blood, bruising. By the end of it, he was standing behind the school over two unconscious boys. He licked his lips, his thoughts shifting from the fight to Shizu. Half-closing his eyes, he remembered the expressions she had made the previous day. The sounds she had made. He felt a rush of pleasure at the thought of how she had felt from the inside. So warm. Her skin so soft and trembling beneath his touch.

Thinking about it inevitably reminded him of the events that took place later. He had watched her rush to Gokudera's aid in the baseball field, killing those boys. The boys he had been required to clean up when she left. The way she had worried over Gokudera enraged him. She would need to be punished for betraying him. She would need to learn that she was his. Seeing her with someone else was just too much for him to handle.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Nanase-kun! Is it true?! Tell us it's true!"

Shizu cringed at the sound of Megumi's voice and looked away from staring out the window. Isabelle was seated beside her, flipping through an Italian magazine that her parents had mailed to her. The Capellos had recently sent a large care package complete with sweets, new designer clothes, and fashion magazines for Isabelle. Shizu had received a set of throwing knives and a note permitting Isabelle to have supervised visits with Xanxus. With so much already on her mind, the last thing Shizu wanted to hear was some ridiculous new pairing invented by Megumi and Sachiko. "Hm? Is _what_ true?"

"You're dating Hibari!" both girls squealed.

"So is it true?! Are you official?"

"You're such a cute pairing! I knew you would end up together!"

She frowned and shook her head. "No way."

"We saw something though!"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "What did you see? You know that doujinshi isn't based on real events." She tried not to blush, remembering how Hibari had used two scenarios from the doujinshi the previous day.

Megumi twirled a lock of hair around her finger, grinning sheepishly. "He was staring at you when you walked into the school today!"

"He was staring at you with _lust_ in his eyes! Just admit it! You had a rendezvous in the Disciplinary Committee room, right?! And he-!"

"N-none of that happened!" Shizu half-shouted. She saw people staring, namely Tsuna and his friends. Sinking low in her seat, she frowned. "Look, just abandon your fantasies of me and Hibari, okay? It's not going to happen!"

Sachiko tilted her head. "What? But we heard one of the committee members talking about you and another member told him that you were Hibari's."

 _How far is this rumor spreading? I don't belong to any man!_ Realizing that there was no hope of reasoning with these girls, Shizu ruffled her short black hair. "Alright. Believe what you want. I'm telling you though; it's not true." Just as she said this, a Disciplinary Committee member appeared in the classroom doorway. "Ugh."

"You need to go to the Disciplinary Committee room," he stated.

"I don't-! Ugh! You know this class is about to start, right?"

"You're pardoned from it. Don't keep him waiting."

Shaking her head now, Shizu sighed. "This doesn't mean anything." The bell rang on her way to the room and she was glad that she was wearing her armband. No one stopped her in the hallway and when she arrived at the committee room, she found the prefect sitting on the couch.

His eyes narrowed, giving her a predatory stare. "Close the door."

"I have class," she stated. "I'll listen to what you have to say, but I'm not staying here with you while Isabelle is left alone."

The corner of his mouth lifted. "Close and _lock_ the door, herbivore."

"I said…" Shizu trailed off, seeing the blood on his shirt. "What did you do?"

"Close and lock the door. Disobey me a third time and I'll make it worse." Hibari was glad that she obeyed this time. Though her strong will was amusing at times, he did not want to play games this morning. He needed something. If he did not get what he needed, he could not get through the day. It would be too much to handle.

Shizu crossed her arms once the door was locked, facing him with all of her courage. She was afraid, but at the same time found herself blushing. When he stood, she remained still and let him get close. _He won't do anything too horrible while there are students in the building, right?_ The boy walked around her, his fingers moving down the row of buttons on his bloody shirt and discarding it. "What did you do?" she repeated, her curiosity getting the best of her.

He turned her to face him, watching her cheeks turn red as she saw his bare chest. A smirk grew on his face as he lifted one of her hands to his chest. "I did what I had to. You owe me now." Hibari pulled her closer, against his chest, and reveled in the feeling of her clothed breasts pressing tightly against him. To his surprise, fingers trailed down his spine. It sent a rush of pleasure through the boy and he leaned down to her ear. "I'm going to punish you for helping him, herbivore." His teeth closed on the side of her neck and she arched her back, a soft cry leaving her lips. Latching onto her pale, soft skin, he sucked until a deep bruise began to form.

She bit her lip to keep from moaning, but a few escaped her anyway. Her hands pressed hard against his back, nails digging in, and she felt his clothed member grind between her legs. "W-wait a second! We can't do this here! What if someone comes to the door?!"

"Where would you rather do this? The teachers' room? On _his_ desk in your classroom?" Hibari moved away from her, his smirk gone and replaced with a frown. "I have a better idea. I could take you to the roof and we could do it there so the whole city can hear the sounds you're going to make."

"No! Look, I need to get back to class so-!" Shizu's front was shoved against one wall. A wall dividing the committee room from what she could only guess was a classroom. In seconds, he had her wrists pinned over her head against the wall, one hand slipping into her panties. "H-Hibari-senpai, don't do this! I'm serious! Someone is going to hear and-!" A low moan left her as he pushed his middle finger into her warm entrance. She closed her eyes, feeling him nip at the side of her neck. He was pulling his finger out ever so slightly and forcing it back in swiftly, setting a rough and quick rhythm. "Aaaah~ P-please…stop…Ngh~! Why are you…doing this~?"

"I saw you yesterday. Did you think you wouldn't be punished? Did you think I wouldn't find out? You were alone with him. That herbivore." Hibari added a second finger and then a third soon after, stretching her entrance and subconsciously grinding himself against her bottom. It ached, hearing her make these noises and seeing her expression of ecstasy when she threw her head back. It was almost too much to handle. In fact, it was quickly becoming too much to handle. "You were so wet, just from talking to me. That makes it easier."

Shizu heard the rustle of cloth after her wrists were released and started to turn, but he pushed her back and ordered her to put her hands on the wall. "Hibari-senpai, please-" A tonfa struck the back of her thigh and she yelped softly. Her panties were slowly pulled down and discarded on the floor beside them. _What if that class can hear us?! Didn't he think of that?_ He pressed on her upper back until she was bending over at the waist and her heart beat faster. _He wouldn't really-?!_ A loud moan started to emerge from her lips when she felt his cock thrust into her. He covered her mouth with one hand, keeping a tight hold on her waist with his other arm, and hissed in pleasure. Her entrance was filled with his member, warm against hers and quickly making her even wetter.

Hibari removed his hand from her face and let it move to her right breast, kneading it through her shirt. Her back arched and she bit her lip hard to keep herself from moaning again. His hips drove against her at a quick pace, seeming to hit deeper and deeper until he heard her make a particularly low, muffled moan. "Don't let them hear you," he taunted.

"Sh-shut up! I don't…aaaaah~! P-please!" Shizu felt him go still behind her, his hand tightening on her breast. "What are you doing?!"

"What were you begging for?" There was a heavy lustful quality in his voice now. As if he had let slip some sort of veil that had previously hidden this strange desire.

"Hit there again!"

"You can beg better than that, herbivore." Hibari slowly withdrew a little and pushed back in, shallowly.

She turned her head so she could see him and saw a sadistic pleasure in his grey eyes. "Hibari-senpai, hit that spot again please." The words pained her. Shizu begged for nothing until now. Thankfully, this one time was met with compliance. He hit the same deep spot within her again and a ball of heat grew within her core. She felt his hand wander from her breast to her short black hair and dug his fingers into it. The girl's moans grew and she put a hand to her mouth to try to muffle them. It was shameful to do this at school. Even worse when there were people there. People that might walk in on them or even just hear them. Her raspy voice would be easily identified. His hold on her waist and hair tightened as he began to throb within her.

"You're going to moan my name," he hissed in her ear.

"Ngh! F-fine!" Shizu could already feel it happening. Her knees grew weak, the arm around her waist being the only thing holding her up as her climax hit. "H-Hibari-senpai~" His hips continued to drive against hers, the head of his cock going deeper and deeper as her muscles clenched around him. He was going faster now and when he finally groaned quietly, she braced herself. Her eyes half-closed as she felt something hot shoot into her core. The girl's body was still recovering from the climax; unable to fight him off.

He waited a few moments before pulling out of her. Hibari removed his arm from her waist, his hand from her hair, and watched her slide to the floor. The girl was panting, leaning against the wall. Her shirt was wrinkled, as was her skirt, and her hair was in disarray. It was satisfying to see her this way, to have climaxed within her. Shizu's amber eyes began to narrow on him in a glare, but it did not bother him in the least. In fact, it made him want to go again. The satisfaction wore off now as he thought of her returning to class. Returning to her friends. Returning to Gokudera. His own eyes narrowed at that thought. He could keep her in the room with him all day. All it would take was a few simple threats. She might rebel though. She might even scream. The last thing he wanted was to be interrupted. Once more, the thought of making her go home with him crossed his mind. It pleased him immensely.

Shizu reached for her panties and scowled. "Why did you do that?! What if someone heard?" To her irritation, he threw a box of tissues to her and settled on the couch. "What? Now you're just going to take a nap?" She turned away from him to clean up the spill between her legs, her face red with shame. _Womanizer. Bastard. Scum. I knew it. He's just like every other guy. They just use women and that's it._

"Come back after school. You still have evening patrol."

She pulled on her panties and threw the box of tissues at his head, but missed by an inch. "Is this really how you treat someone after you-?! I mean, _come on_! I didn't expect romance! I fucking hate you! But I at least expected you to not be an asshole like every other guy!"

Hibari smirked. "Don't you have a class to go to?"

"I hate you!" Shizu repeated. _I can't believe I ever got excited about a bastard like him touching me! He'll be lucky if I show up for evening patrol!_ She started for the door, pausing to straighten her uniform and scowl at him over her shoulder. "You know what? I wish you were the way those stupid girls imagine you! Maybe then you would be tolerable!"

Her words were starting to make him angry. Standing, he glared at her. Hibari advanced on her quickly, his body pressing hers tightly against the committee room door. His mouth went to her neck, briefly biting at the bruise there. "Take it back before I bite you to death, Nanase."

"What? About you being an intolerable bastard?!" she demanded.

"You're not allowed to hate me." His voice was low, sinister. When he pulled away, his eyes darkened with rage. "Do you understand? You're not allowed to hate me." Hibari's hand went to her hair, gripping it tight. "If you don't say what I want to hear, I'll make you pay."

The girl scowled and pushed at his chest, but he refused to move. Sighing in frustration, she closed her eyes and swallowed her pride. "I…love you, Hibari-senpai," she muttered.

"I love you too, herbivore." He withdrew with a smirk and returned to the couch.


	16. Chapter 16

The blonde one would need to die. It was decided as he stood watching the girl at lunch time in her classroom. She was sitting with _his_ Shizu, eating food that he knew was prepared by _his_ Shizu, and talking to _his_ Shizu. His eyes went to the dark-haired girl's neck as the blonde reached to tug at the black leather collar she wore, frowning at the bruises. The bruises he had left during his morning encounter with her. Remembering it made him smirk and students began to give him an even wider amount of space when they walked around him in the corridor. It was rare that he went to a classroom. Not that he would go inside; for now he was simply observing.

Capello Isabelle was seventeen. A transfer student from Italy, just like Nanase Shizu. Unlike her, however, Capello was not half-Japanese. She was also terrible at speaking Japanese and seemed to rely almost entirely on Shizu translating for her. He had overheard people talk about the blonde girl before. She had a classic European fairy tale princess look to her that most of the boys at the school found attractive while her knightly best friend was favored more by the girls. It still puzzled him how delusional some people could be, to think that Shizu was actually male. Though it had fueled an interesting doujinshi. Narrowing his eyes on the blonde, he began to ponder what he should do.

His Shizu was bound to this girl by a debt that he knew she would never believe was repaid. So long as Capello was alive, Shizu would insist on serving her. An old conflict resurfaced as he thought about this. If the blonde died, even by accident, Shizu would no longer feel obligated to stay in Japan. She may return to Italy. He would need to give her a reason to stay then. That was all he needed to do; find a reason for her to be required to stay. She had been forced to join the Vongola not long ago. It was a good start, but he needed something more. He could not risk losing her. As much as he hated to admit it, his craving for her seemed insatiable. He needed her on too many levels to let her slip away.

The prefect licked his lips, watching Shizu and remembering how embarrassed she had been earlier. How she had moaned and how she had felt against him. Even now, just sitting in her chair and talking with her friends, she was tempting him. There were things that he wanted to do in that moment, but they were not things that he should do. Just as he thought about bending her over the teacher's desk and taking her in front of her crush, the girl stood from her desk.

Shizu's amber eyes narrowed on him as she left the classroom and when she crossed her arms, she saw him frown. "Why are you here? I'm trying to have lunch."

Her defiant glare only made him crave her more. "I came to make sure that no herbivores were touching you." His tone was cold, but his heart was beating fast. It beat even faster when he saw her bite her lip in nervousness.

"Well no one is. So just leave. You're scaring everyone in the classroom."

His hand moved quickly to grip her collar, pulling her face close to his. "Did you show them the marks I left on you?" he taunted.

"L-look, just leave! I don't know what you expected to see, but-!"

He knew that people were watching. It was what he wanted. This would be the perfect demonstration, though not precisely what he wanted to do. His mouth met hers roughly, an arm wrapping around her waist to keep her from running. The rush of euphoria from this small, simple gesture was immense. Students around them gasped. A chair fell over in the classroom. He bit her lower lip cruelly before pulling away to examine her blushing face. "You're mine, Nanase. Don't forget that."

 **Shift P.O.V**

She watched him walk away, her face bright red. It had only been a matter of time before he would do something like that. Something to display dominance in front of their peers. When she returned to the classroom, she attempted to pretend like nothing happened. Shizu tried to ignore the way Sachiko and Megumi cheered and the way Gokudera was now fuming. Isabelle was alarmed more than anything and was frantically asking questions in Italian. "I-it's nothing! I swear it's nothing! I'm not dating that creep!" Shizu insisted in the same language.

"You're not dating Hibari, are you?" Yamamoto asked.

"Right! I'm not! I don't know why, but he has this weird idea that I am. Just don't worry about it." The rest of the class was awkward and Shizu was surprised when Hibari let her leave after evening patrol with no punishment. She walked out of the school gates to find Ken waiting for her. The blonde grinned and greeted her so enthusiastically that her worries seemed to all vanish at once. "What? Seeing me makes you want to wag your tail?" she teased.

"What? It's not too late for me to still bite you," he retorted.

Shizu snickered. "So what are Chikusa and Mukuro doing right now?"

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Well Chikusa is at a convenience store with Chrome. He was supposed to walk you home today, but…"

"But what? Also, why are you walking me home? Who dictates that?"

The boy frowned. "Mukuro does. It's so you don't get attacked."

"And who would attack me?" she aside, raising an eyebrow.

"Varia." Ken saw her nod and his grin returned. "I like walking you home though."

"Oh? Why is that? You hope that one day I'll give you a treat for being a good boy?" Shizu had been walking down the sidewalk alongside him and now found herself being pinned against a wall. He gripped both of her shoulders, staring down at her with intent golden-brown eyes. "Ken?"

His grin grew. "I don't need to wait for a treat. I could always take one myself." The boy's face drew close to her neck, his breath warm against her pale skin. "What's this? Someone else left a mark on my cute little kitten before I could~?" Ken pulled away when she snickered again. "What? What's so funny?"

"You sound like Mukuro right now. You know that, right?" Disappointment flashed in his eyes, but there was no taking back what she had said. "Why does he care if I get attacked anyway? It's not like we even talk that much. He's always so quiet when he's around. Like a cat." She pushed away from the wall and started to walk down the sidewalk once more.

"Like a cat," Ken agreed, following her. "Like a _possessive_ cat." The last part was said under his breath, barely a whisper.

Shizu failed to catch the last part of what he said and simply shrugged. Isabelle was waiting for her and greeted Ken with a bubbly hug while Shizu set about making dinner. Chikusa and a rather shy, fidgety girl with an eyepatch showed up shortly before Mukuro to join them. When the meal was done and everyone had left, Shizu found herself falling asleep on the couch beside Isabelle's dog.

The next morning was a hectic dash for the school gate, late from having slept in. Her mind raced with lunch alternatives, having had no time to make a proper bento for Isabelle. _If I just get her custard bread, she would be happy. That's not healthy though! Maybe a bowl of ramen? But there's so much sodium!_ She was running through the gate beside Isabelle when an arm darted out to grab her around the waist and hoist her over someone's shoulder. "Hey! Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" she demanded in a snarl.

"Shut up! I'm taking you somewhere else!" Gokudera left the school grounds, wearing casual clothes, and shot Isabelle a commanding look. The blonde girl seemed to understand and grinned, following him down the sidewalk. "Where to first? I'm not letting you go to school today."

"We should go to the apartment first and get Lucy! I want to change out of this ugly uniform!" Isabelle answered.

It was awkward to have Gokudera in their home while they changed clothes. He sat in the living room, staring at the Labrador as she stared back at him. Shizu emerged from her room first, wearing a pair of black short and a black t-shirt with long striped socks sheathing her pale legs up to the thigh. He hated that her outfit made him blush. "You're going to wear that in front of other people?" he muttered.

"What? Might a certain someone get _jealous_ ~?" Shizu taunted, made a jokingly seductive pose. When he pulled her forward sharply, she landed on his lap and blushed red. "Hey! You can't do stuff like this in front of Isa!" she hissed.

"She isn't even out here." The boy shifted her so her legs went to either side of his waist.

Her back arched, feeling one of his hands trail down her spine. Biting her lip, she muffled a sound of pleasure. "C-come on! Don't do this right now!" She felt his lips on her neck, kissing along her throat as his free hand threaded into her short black hair. Her eyes half-closed and she kissed him, her arms going around his neck. When the kiss broke, she leaned her forehead against his shoulder. "We can't do this right now. I'm sorry. She can't see us like this."

A low growl left him. "When then?! I know you want this, Nanase!"

"I do. Believe me, I do." Shizu smirked and rolled her hips against his, making him groan sharply at the pleasure. "Just wait. Please."

The sound of Isabelle's door opening made them pull apart quickly and the blonde gave them a curious look. "Did I miss anything?" she asked in Italian.

"Nothing." The answer came from Gokudera, who was now putting a leash on the Labrador. He handed it to Isabelle, who accepted it with a grin. "Where do you want to go now?"

"Good question! I think want to go to the park first, of course! Lucy needs some fresh air!" The blonde tilted her head and her grin got bigger. "Hm~? I bet you'd love to see _Shizu_ wearing a leash, huh? And _nothing else_?" she taunted, wiggling her hips. Seeing Gokudera's face go bright red while Shizu tried to keep her gaze averted, Isabelle laughed. "I _know_ you have a crush on her, Gokudera! Go on! Ask her out!"

His brow furrowed. "She can't date."

"Let's do it hypothetically then! We'll say that, _hypothetically_ , she's suddenly allowed to date! Would you ask her out?" She crossed her arms, still grinning.

"What the hell?! I'm not doing this!"

" _Would_ you? It's a simple question! Or do you want me to put this in a different way? Do you want to take Shizu's purity?" Isabelle's grin was becoming malicious in nature now as she walked to stand behind her friend, wrapping her arms around Shizu's slender frame. "What do you say? Wouldn't you want to see her _out_ of this cute outfit~?"

The dark-haired girl was biting her lip to keep from saying something. If she opened her mouth, she feared that she might say something horrible to Isabelle. Or worse. She might stick up for herself. She remembered when she did that in the past. There was a particularly deep scar on her back from the one time she had talked back to Isabelle. The blonde had not been upset, but her parents had been furious.

"It's none of your business!" Gokudera finally snapped. "You know what?! I'm sick of seeing her do whatever the hell you want, when you want it! Why can't she date someone if she wants to?! Will that really keep her from protecting you? This is more about your selfish wants! You want to keep her all to yourself so you won't let her date! You're just a possessive, bratty, little princess!"

Isabelle released Shizu and her grin shifted to a terrifyingly happy smile. "You're _bold_. I like that." She took a step closer to him, tilting her head. "Yeah. You would do _nicely_ , wouldn't you? I don't suppose Shizu told you that she can date as long as I approve of the boy? Well you win. I approve of you. You're brave. You're not afraid to speak your mind like most people. Just remember something." Her hand closed around Shizu's arm to drag her closer. "She's still _mine_. She'll _always_ be mine. I'm just sharing her with you for a while."

Shizu's face was vibrant pink, but was glad that this had happened. "Th-thanks, Isa."

"No problem! Look, if you really liked him so much you should have said so sooner! I thought you might like him, but I just wasn't sure. Alright so let's get going to the park! We'll take Lucy for a walk, drop her off here, and then go out for lunch to celebrate!"

The stroll to the park was extremely awkward. Shizu sat beside Gokudera on a bench, watching Isabelle throw a stick for Lucy to chase. The dark-haired girl absently toyed with the license around her neck, still blushing. _We're dating then?_ She felt his hand tentatively move to hold hers and she smiled. _We're dating. I'm dating someone. My first boyfriend. But what Isabelle said was kind of creepy._

Gokudera was also blushing, but bowed his head to try to hide it. Though he was glad that he was able to date her now, he was unsettled by Isabelle's words. She had spoken with such a sadistic glee in her voice that it had sent chills down his spine. It angered him that the blonde acted like she owned Shizu. Even if she did, it still pissed him off. His hold on her hand tightened, pressing his warm palm against hers. Her hand was smaller, calloused from training with weapons. It felt perfect to him. She was his girlfriend now. They could be together without needing to hide it from Isabelle.

Shizu no longer had to worry about her friend being angry, but now she knew that Hibari would be furious. _Now that I have a boyfriend, I really can't let Hibari touch me. He's going to be mad and he might take it out on me, but I won't cheat on Gokudera._ She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed. "So you still like me? You still want to do this? Even with Isabelle…being Isabelle?"

"Why wouldn't I want to be with you?! Look at me!" When she hesitated, he gripped her chin with his free hand and turned her face toward his. "I love you. I'm not letting that prefect take you away from me now that I have you, Shizu!"

Her heart skipped a beat and she smiled. "What are you going to do if he tries to touch me? Will you fight him?"

"I'll kill him." He pressed his lips to hers, starting the kiss soft and sweet. When the kiss deepened, he felt her hands on his chest and she tried to push him away. "What?!"

"I mean, we just started dating! We need to be careful, okay? Even if Isabelle said it's okay, she'll still get mad if we take it too far! She thinks it's cute right now. She always thinks it's cute to embarrass me."

"But it _is_ cute! It's super cute! Your face gets all red~" Isabelle taunted, suddenly standing right in front of them. "I can't imagine how red it will get when you two do it."

"We just started dating!" Shizu argued.

"So? You've known each other longer than I knew Xanxus. Have at it, Gokudera~"


	17. Chapter 17

_It's so annoying._ Shizu glanced into the living room from the kitchen, where she was currently making tea. Isabelle had gone to have dinner with Kyoko and Hana, leaving Shizu and Gokudera behind. She knew what this was, despite being happy to be alone with her crush. Isabelle was obviously hoping that they would get romantic. Shizu was certain that they were somehow being recorded at that very moment. _I'm not giving her a show_ , she determined as she carried the teapot and cups to the coffee table.

Gokudera looked uncomfortable. He could feel her unease and it was making him equally unsettled. "When is she coming back?"

"I don't know." Shizu sat beside him on the couch, frowning to herself. She awkwardly took a sip of tea and bit the inside of her cheek. "Hm. Since she went out for dinner, do you want me to make something for us?" She saw him shrug. "This is awkward, isn't it?"

"You _think_?! I didn't want her damn blessing! I don't care if she's okay with us being together! What the hell is her problem anyway? She thinks this is _funny_ , doesn't she?"

"She thinks it's _amusing_ ," the girl corrected him. "Since we first met, she's always treat me like some sort of doll. For the first year, she would insist on picking out my clothes and putting little ribbons in my hair. In junior high, she wanted to set me up with certain boys so she could make me go on dates with them, but her parents refused to let me date. For her, this is just an extension of that."

"Isn't that humiliating?!"

Shizu shrugged. "It was for a while, but it's part of my job. I don't really have a choice."

Gokudera growled quietly. "I don't like your attitude about this! What? So you'll just do whatever she tells you?! If she told you to marry a guy, you would?"

"Hm. I wouldn't really have much of a choice. My job is to make her happy. If me marrying a guy would make her happy, I would need to do it." She ruffled her short black hair and tilted her head back against the cushions with a sigh.

"And if she told you to _do it_ with some guy?"

"Again, if that would make her happy then I would need to do it. How do you _not_ understand how this works?"

There was a pause as he set down his teacup. "You remember what she said before she left?" His voice had a slightly taunting quality to it now, the anger fading slowly.

"Ugh. I wish I could forget. Look, I'm not going to indulge her when it comes to stuff like this, Gokudera." Shizu closed her eyes and started to wonder how long Isabelle planned to be gone. The blonde would surely be home by nightfall, if not a few hours after. It did make her worry though, to not know exactly where the girl was. Even if Isabelle did toy with her sometimes, they were almost like sisters. She sighed again and opened her eyes to look over at her boyfriend. The word still made her blush. "Hm. What do you want for dinner anyway?"

He reached to her wrist and tugged, bringing her close and pressing his lips to hers. The boy felt her body tense for a moment before she let herself settle in his lap, her chest pressed to his as she wrapped her arms around him. Gokudera felt his heart beat faster, feeling her soft chest against him. He was glad that they were together now. This was what he had wanted. However, he had this sick feeling in his stomach when he thought about Isabelle using them for her own entertainment. He wanted to take Shizu away from this apartment, but he knew she would refuse.

Her legs moved to either side of his lap, the girl's heart pounding in her chest. They had kissed before, but this felt different. This made her blush, but at the same time filled her with an immense happiness. Though a thought lingered at the edge of her mind. _What if Isabelle is somehow monitoring this?_ Shizu pulled away and leaned her head against his shoulder, her amber eyes opening when she felt a hand wander up the back of her shirt. "Gokudera."

"What?" The boy sounded annoyed at the interruption, his fingers absently skimming over her spine. "You don't like this?"

"I do, but we can't do this here." She stood and grabbed his hand. "Come on. I know my room is safe." Seeing his face turning faintly pink, Shizu smirked. "What? Are you _nervous_ now?" She wiggled her hips in a taunting manner and raised an eyebrow.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"So where's Shizu today?" Kyoko inquired.

Isabelle and the other two girls were being seated at a table in a small restaurant. The blonde toyed with a strand of her long, curly blonde hair and smiled. "Shizu busy. Gokudera," she replied in Japanese.

"Really? So are they together now?" Hana asked, picking up a menu.

"Yes." Though Isabelle smiled sweetly, she was frowning on the inside. _I gave him permission to date her. I'm starting to regret it though. What if she leaves? What if she wants to move in with him? I know that she can't though. She's my bodyguard. She's my servant. She's not allowed to leave. She owes me too much. She owes my parents too much._ Her smile grew and now it was a true smile. Secretly, she hoped that Gokudera would die. Though she would never tell Shizu this. It was obvious that the dark-haired girl really liked him and it pissed Isabelle off more than anything. At least the prefect was someone that Shizu hated. In fact, it rather amused Isabelle that Shizu had lost her virginity to someone she hated so much.

"Hey so what happens if they want to get married after high school? I was wondering this for a while. I mean, Shizu works for you, right? Is she able to get married if she wants?" Hana raised an eyebrow when Isabelle's smile fell to a deep frown.

She tucked a lock of honey-blonde hair behind her ear and tilted her head. "Can marry. I choose boy for Shizu," she answered.

"You don't want her to get married, do you?" Kyoko gave her a concerned sort of look.

"Do not care." However, it really did bother her now to think of Shizu getting married to someone and possibly leaving her. Isabelle's mother had nearly died giving birth to her so to try to have another child after Isabelle could have meant her death. The blonde had lived as an only child for eleven years. It was a lonely existence that had nearly driven her mad. When Shizu showed up, a skinny and broken-looking girl, Isabelle had been overjoyed to acquire an older sister. She had hugged her upon meeting her and it filled her with a happiness she had never known before. The thought of losing the one person in the world that made her feel this way made her fall into a deep despair. _She can't leave. I won't let anyone take Shizu away from me!_

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Ngh! W-wait! Did you hear something?" Shizu turned her head to the side, looking at her closed and locked bedroom door. She tried to not think about his hand inside of her shorts, of his fingers thrusting in and out of her. It was proving difficult, but the noise she had heard nearly sent her into a panic.

"It's nothing," he growled, thrusting his fingers deeper. She felt so warm on the inside, her juices coating his fingers and making him want to take her right then. He could see it in her eyes though. Whatever she heard was making her frightened and even as she moaned quietly, thrusting her hips up to meet his thrusts, he knew that the mood was turning. Gokudera sped up, leaning down to kiss along her neck. His efforts were met with more soft moans from the girl that made him start to ache. Finally, he felt her muscles tighten around his fingers as she moaned louder and began to pant. He withdrew his hand from her shorts quite reluctantly and smirked when she stared up at him.

"Wait! What are you-?" Shizu saw him lick his fingers and blushed red. "You shouldn't do that!" She turned her head toward the door again and saw a shadow in the hall through the small gap between the door and floor. "Someone's here," she whispered. Feeling his hand working at the front of her shorts now, she frowned. "Gokudera, not now. I need to see who's here. I'll be right back." The girl rolled out from beneath him and when she opened the door, she blushed red. "Hm. How did you get into my apartment?"

Mukuro smirked. "We wanted to pay you a visit," he replied, gesturing down the hallway at Ken and Chikusa. They were lingering near the apartment door, Ken waving at her with a smile when he saw her. "Kufufu~ What were those lewd sounds I heard a moment ago, Shizu?"

"N-nothing! Can you please leave? Now isn't a good time." To her alarm, he stepped closer as if to peer into the bedroom. She moved out into the hall, closing the bedroom door behind her. "Mukuro-"

He gripped her chin, pulling her face close to his. When her blush darkened, he tilted his head. "You look so embarrassed. What were you doing in there?" Her eyes shifted away from his heterochromatic gaze. "Were you playing with yourself, little Shizu~?"

"J-just leave! Now is _not_ a good time!" She shoved him away, but he continued to smirk.

"Kufufu~ If that's what you want. I guess we can come back later. Yes, I think half an hour should suffice. That should give you enough time to finish whatever _lewd_ things you were doing in your room."

Shizu waited for them to leave before opening her bedroom door. Gokudera did not look pleased with what had happened. "I'm sorry. They just showed up and-"

He gripped her collar and pulled her close to kiss her. "Tomorrow. Meet me behind the school after your stupid Disciplinary Committee stuff."

She watched him go and frowned to herself. Isabelle returned and went to her room to call Xanxus, much to Shizu's disgust. _I don't know what she sees in him._ The dark-haired girl was sitting on the couch, leaning her head back against the cushions. Lucy, the black Labrador, was sleeping on the floor beside her feet and snoring lightly. It was oddly comforting. The two quietly enjoyed each other's company for a while until there was a knock at the door. Lucy jumped up, tail wagging, to bark at the door until Shizu opened it. "Oh. You're back."

Ken grinned. "Mukuro said for us to bring you a gift to apologize for earlier." He held up a boxed cake, Chikusa blank-faced at his side. "It's chocolate."

As if she could smell the cake, Isabelle ran from her bedroom and grabbed the box from the boy to take it to the kitchen. "Shizu, I ate a good dinner! I'm having some of this cake and so are you! I demand it!"

Shizu sighed and let Ken and Chikusa into the apartment. "So where's Mukuro?"

The blonde boy flopped into the armchair and leaned down to pet Lucy when she trotted over for attention. "He's busy now. Something came up." He raised his eyes to Shizu's and he faintly blushed. "What were you doing earlier? I heard you moan."

Her face turned red and she settled on the couch, watching Isabelle and Chikusa from the corner of her eye. "It's none of your business," she muttered.

He grinned and leaned toward her. "You know, if you need someone to _pet_ you-"

"Don't make me spray you with a water bottle," she warned teasingly.

"It would take more than _that_ to cool me off." Ken laughed when she looked away, her face still red. "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"Nope!" Isabelle put herself between the two and set a slice of cake in front of Shizu. "You know she's got a _boyfriend_ now, right? I picked him out myself. He's perfect for her!"

Ken's grin dropped instantly. "What? You have a boyfriend now? Who is it?"

"Gokudera! He's a perfect fit for her!" Isabelle continued. "I mean, _my_ Shizu deserves a guy like him, right?"

"Ken, we need to leave," Chikusa spoke up.

"Do you actually _like_ him?!" Ken demanded.

"She does!"

"I want to hear it from her, not you!"

Shizu frowned. "Yeah, I like him. So what?"

"You can't! I mean-!"

"Ken, we're leaving now." Chikusa pulled him to stand and dragged him to the door. He cast a glance in Shizu's direction. A look full of cold hatred that made her shiver. "I would be careful if I were you."

The door slammed behind the two boys and Shizu frowned. "What was that all about?"

Isabelle shrugged and gleefully took a bite of her cake. "He's just a jealous mongrel! Wow! This cake is amazing though! It's chocolate with strawberry mousse layers!"

Shizu tried a bite and smiled. "It is pretty tasty. So how was dinner with Kyoko and Hana?" She listened to a brief explanation of the meal; what Isabelle had ordered and what she talked about with the girls. _They mostly talked about fashion, huh? Too bad that's your weakest point after cooking._ Shizu would never say this to Isabelle, but it was true. Shizu almost always picked out the blonde's outfits and made all of their meals. "And what about _him_?"

"What? Xanxus? I was just talking to him about our plans next week." Isabelle grinned. "You're coming with us, of course. To dinner anyway. You want to bring your own date?"

"I really don't want to be anywhere near that jerk, Isabelle." Shizu closed her eyes and sighed in irritation. The very thought of talking to Xanxus made her want to tear something apart. Specifically his throat. What she would not give to tear out his throat and watch him die.

The blonde gave her a somewhat awkward sideways hug. "You don't have a choice though, do you?"

"I suppose I don't." She slouched, knowing that she would need to suppress her anger at Xanxus if she wanted to keep her princess happy. "Fine. I'll go. I'm bringing Gokudera though."

"That's fine." Isabelle sighed contentedly and finished eating her slice of cake. "This is so _yummy_! I want my wedding cake to be like this! Oh, you know what? I just got an idea of something fun we could do! Tomorrow after school, let's get you some cute lingerie!"

Shizu frowned, but knew she had no choice. If this is what Isabelle wanted her to do, then she had to do it. "Fine. Just…nothing too risqué, alright?"

"What?! No way! Oh! We could get matching lacey stuff! It would be so cute!"

 _Are you serious? What's the point of having lingerie that matches your bodyguard's? Isn't that just kind of weird?_ She nodded once. "Yeah. Sounds cute," she agreed.

"So? Did you two do anything _fun_ while I was gone? I want all of the details! You know I'll find out, even if you don't tell me~" Isabelle loved to see her friend's face turn red. "Knowing you, you didn't get past foreplay, right? You're still so cute and innocent, Shizu!" She hugged her friend tightly and lingered for a moment, taking in the mixed scent of Shizu and Gokudera.


	18. Chapter 18

It really was such a shame. Despite this, he smirked. Shizu found love. At least, she _thought_ she had found love. He knew it could never be true though. She was his. She just needed to realize it. Around him, the other Disciplinary Committee members shivered. Hibari was standing at the window, watching her. He had wanted to get closer. Perhaps wait at the school gate and ambush her. Perhaps drag her up to the Disciplinary Committee room for some alone time before class. Or perhaps not even let her go to class. She had skipped school the previous day. She needed some form of punishment. His eyes narrowed upon her, seeing a boy's arm around her. Gokudera was suddenly much closer to her than he had been in days past.

Shizu had her hair pinned back this morning, displaying the four piercings in each ear, and her sleeves were rolled up to show the tattoo on her forearm. More things that he could punish her for. It was beginning to excite him. He heard someone ask him a question, but ignored it. This was too entertaining, thinking about what he might do with her. When he saw her lean up to kiss Gokudera on the cheek, making the boy blush, Hibari's smirk became truly evil. That would cost her dearly. She had yet to kiss him with such a sweet look in her eyes. Even if her fear was amusing, he wanted to see her enjoy their time together. He wanted her to love him.

Seeing them together was becoming too much for him to handle. Hibari's rage was steadily increasing until he could no longer take it. Without a word to anyone else in the Disciplinary Committee room, he walked out to the hallway. He had no real plan for what he would do once he was out there. If he indulged his rage, he would make his way to her classroom. If he did that, something would happen. Something he knew she would hate. It was an amusing thought. As he made his way down to the first floor, he passed something that made him change his mind. Three boys. First year boys. They were talking about her. He turned to follow them now, his smirk growing in malevolence.

"You've seen her, right? Nanase-senpai?" one boy asked the others.

"The one the girls call "Prince Nanase" or "Nanase-kun"? I've seen her. That's no prince." Another boy laughed. "No prince would have a chest like that!"

The third boy's face went pink. "What do you mean?"

"She's pretty curvy," the first one replied. "What are you blushing about? Like you would even know what do with a girl like her!" He and the second boy both laughed now.

"No, but she's supposed to be pretty nice too," the second one spoke up again. "She's always with that Italian girl though. It's hard for anyone to get close to her."

"I heard she's dating Gokudera-senpai."

"She belongs to me." Hibari's eyes narrowed on the boys as they turned around, fear instantly making the color drain from their faces.

 **Shift P.O.V**

The knock was quiet, cautious. No reply came. Shizu frowned and glanced at a clock in the hallway. _Class ended twenty minutes ago. And I know he doesn't go to class. Is he not here today?_ It angered her that she might possibly feel disappointed if Hibari was gone. She ran fingers through her short black hair and sighed in exasperation. _Why do I care if he's gone today? It's not like we're actually close or anything. He took my virginity, but we're not in a relationship. Why the hell is my life so complicated?!_

Shizu knocked again and pressed an ear to the door, listening for movement or some sort of confirmation that she could come in. She wanted to do her patrol and leave. She had to meet with Gokudera and then she needed to go shopping with Isabelle. If Hibari was going to play games with her, she would simply leave the school. She started to walk away, but paused and glanced back toward the door. If he was asleep and she failed to even make an appearance, he might retaliate the next day. She knocked again. There was still no answer. Shizu, finally fully irritated and out of patience, turned the doorknob and found the room to be unlocked. She started to feel dread in the pit of stomach, but proceeded into the room anyway.

He was there, sleeping on the couch with blood splattered all over the front of his shirt, his face, and his hands. Shizu stood there for a long moment, gaping at the boy. She thought about leaving. She wanted to leave and just go to Gokudera, but something drew her closer to Hibari. His face was turned toward her, wearing a peaceful expression despite the blood dried on his cheek and nose. Shizu narrowed her eyes on him, briefly thinking about drawing cat whiskers on his face with a marker. _That would be gross though_ , she thought. _It would be in the blood. It would ruin the marker, I'm sure._ She tilted her head, standing beside the couch now. _What if it's his blood? What if he's injured? But why should I care? He never cared about me. Not really._

A sigh left her and she ruffled her hair. Her pride as a bodyguard would not allow her to leave him in this state, not knowing if he was injured or if the blood belonged to someone else. Shizu reached out with one hand and poked his shoulder. He did not move. She poked him again and soon moved to poke his cheek, but the boy's hand darted out to grip her wrist.

Cold grey eyes snapped open to meet her amber ones and Hibari scowled. "What do you think you're doing?"

She gave a sharp tug, trying to get her arm free, but he tightened his hold. "Why the hell are you covered in blood?" she growled quietly. To her irritation, he did release her and turned onto his side away from her. "Hey! Don't ignore me!" Shizu curled her hands into fists now, her teeth gritted. _Why do I sound so concerned? I don't care about him!_

"I did you a favor." When Hibari did turn to her, there was an intense malevolence in his gaze. Coupled with the blood on his face, it made for a very intimidating sight that made Shizu take a few steps back. He was standing quickly and before she could react, he had pushed her down onto the couch, hovering over her. "Why do you look so worried, herbivore?"

Her fists tightened, nails digging into her palms. "You wish I was worried. Look, I don't know what your problem is, but just leave me alone. I don't like you. I fucking _hate_ you. Trust me, whatever stupid thing you did, you weren't doing me any favors. _Hibari-senpai._ Get the fuck off of me before I bite your face."

A shudder of pleasure ran through him and it shone in his eyes. He had hoped that he would see this today. That fiery rage of hers. That defiance. It made him want to take her. It made him want to hurt her. She was far from fragile so he wondered how far he could take it before she might break. His hand caught hers when she raised a fist to hit him and he pinned it over her head. "I'd like to see you try," he hissed in her ear. His hips pressed down against hers and the girl's back arched. "How should I punish you?"

"I didn't even do anything yet!" she snarled. When he suddenly collapsed against her, Shizu's eyes widened. "Hey! What are you-?" She felt the heat of his skin against hers, heard the labored way that he breathed. His grip on her wrist went limp and soon she was easily able to sit up. He still leaned against her, barely conscious. Shizu felt something sticky and wet on her shirt and grimaced. _Smells like blood. So_ _he is hurt. That idiot._ She turned him, his upper half on her lap. "Hibari-senpai, stay awake."

"Don't tell me what to do, herbivore." Despite his fever, he still growled at her.

"Shut up." The girl slid out from beneath him and worked to get his shirt open. There was a deep gash on his side. _What the hell happened to him? I thought he was stronger than this. Did someone ambush him?_ Shizu left the Disciplinary Committee room and ran to the nurse's office to collect a bandage and rubbing alcohol. She silently swore as she hurried back to the room, hating that she had to help someone she hated. He was still as she worked to clean the gash and wrap it, watching her warily. When she was finished, she helped him stand and reluctantly stated that she would help him get home. _I'll need to call Gokudera and Isa once I get there. Hibari's parents can take care of him, right?_

The apartment he gave her directions to was very somewhat eerie. There was an aura of desolation and seclusion to the home that made Shizu frown. The apartment was totally silent and it gave her a feeling of almost hopelessness. Worse yet was the danger that she felt. She knew it was a bad idea to be alone with him and to be alone with him in his home was even worse. "Where are your parents?"

"I live alone," he replied simply. She helped him to his bed and he smirked to himself when she left him alone to change clothes. In a way, he had gotten what he wanted. Hibari had wanted to have her to himself. To have her in his home, alone with him. Of course, he had not expected those first year boys to fight back or to have a knife. One of them was so fast. The wound was already infected, the fever leaving him feeling slightly delirious. Perhaps he would make her stay with him for a few days while he healed. This thought pleased him immensely.

Shizu rummaged in the cupboards for medicine to bring down his fever and gave it to him with a frown. "I can't stay." She watched him swallow the medicine with some water. He seemed to have not heard her. "I'm going home. I guess I could come check on you tomorrow before school."

He wanted to argue. He wanted to keep her there in the apartment with him for the night. The strength was draining from him though. He almost suspected that she had given him sleeping pills. Hibari settled back against his pillow, scowling. "First thing in the morning." She nodded her agreement. "Put your number in my phone," he demanded, handing it to her.

When Shizu left, she was only slightly surprised to find someone waiting for her. Ken was standing on the street corner and greeted her with a big grin. "You just like waiting around for me? Aren't you a loyal puppy?" she taunted with a smirk. _Why does seeing Ken always cheer me up? It's really weird._

"And you just wander between people that will pet you, like a stray cat," he countered. The blonde gripped her collar, still grinning. "You still haven't let _me_ pet you, Shizu."

"I don't know if you've had all of your shots." She pulled out of his reach and started down the sidewalk. "So what are you doing here anyway? Mukuro and Chikusa kick you out?"

He grimaced and looked away. "What's wrong with just wanting to see you?"

To her annoyance, her cheeks started to turn pink. "You know I have a boyfriend now."

"What? He already marked his territory?" Ken's arm went around her, his teeth lightly closing on her ear. A shiver ran down her spine and he smirked. "What was that?"

"Don't bite me!" Shizu felt his tongue trace up the side of her neck and blushed red. "I'm serious! I have a boyfriend and I'm not going to cheat on him!"

"It's not cheating if I'm just doing stuff to you." There was a teasing quality to his voice and he snickered when she pulled away from him.

She rolled her eyes. "Do you know how that sounds?" Shizu led the way to her apartment and swayed her hips teasingly as she unlocked the door. "Hm? What are you drooling about, mutt?" She half-grinned as she opened the apartment door, but it started to fall when she saw that Isabelle had company. _Fuck! What is_ _he_ _doing here?! He can't be here! It's too early! Is it already that week? This is a huge security risk, having him in here!_ Shizu's amber eyes narrowed on the man seated on the couch with Isabelle and grabbed Ken's hand, dragging him to her room behind her. She slammed the door and screamed into a pillow, trying to suppress her urge to go out to the living room and kill Xanxus. "What the fuck is he doing here?!"

"What? Isabelle's boyfriend?" Ken tilted his head as she started to dig through her clothes for a suitable outfit. "She looks happy that he's here."

"He's a _jerk_! That guy…ugh! He took her virginity and then kicked her out in the rain! Why does he suddenly care about her, huh?! It doesn't make any sense! I don't want him in this apartment! I don't want him dating her! He's a _bastard_!" she protested. Shizu sighed in irritation and ruffled her hair. "What does she see in him anyway? She's head over heels for him and he's just a jerk to her! Doesn't she see how _bad_ he is for her?! Doesn't she realize that it would never work out? He'll just end up hurting her again!"

Ken's face went pink and he rubbed the back of his neck, watching her undress. He wondered if he should have looked away, but kept his eyes on her. After all, the girl had some interesting scars on her back and the backs of her legs. His eyes widened when they roamed to her chest. She glanced over at him and he looked away quickly. "He's not doing anything to hurt her right now."

"But he will! I _know_ he will! He's an _evil bastard_!" Shizu was frowning once she was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She had not meant to dress in front of him like this and he was indeed staring. "Go ahead and ask already. I know the curiosity is killing you," she said, sitting on the floor near him.

He laughed a bit awkwardly. "Curiosity killed the _cat_ , not the dog," he joked. "Also, I'm not going to ask if you don't want to talk about it."

She grimaced, running her fingers absently over her arm tattoo. "They're from training. Discipline. I've had them since I was thirteen."

"They look painful."

"Yeah. And they're _ugly_ , too." She shook her head. "I wasn't ready for this. Why did he have to come here today? He wasn't supposed to be here until next week."

Ken stood and offered her a hand to help her stand up. "We're going out then."

"What about Isa? I can't leave her alone with that monster."

"Come on. It's going to be fun," he assured her with a big grin. "Besides, she seems happy to see him. Just let her spend some time with him; I know she's tougher than she looks. She needs to be able to do stuff for herself, Shizu."

The girl grudgingly stood and let him lead her out of the room. As they walked past Isabelle and Xanxus, Shizu bit her lip to keep herself from shouting and threatening him. She heard him laugh coldly and in that moment she wanted nothing more than to paint the walls with his blood. Shizu forced herself to walk out the door with Ken and ignore Xanxus. Standing outside in the cool evening air, she took a deep breath. _Calm. Stay calm. Don't think about it._ When she had managed to calm herself sufficiently, Shizu looked over at Ken. "So what are we doing?"

"Well we could get dinner," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Or we could go for a walk." Hearing her snicker, he frowned. "What? What's funny about that?"

"You want to go for a walk~?" she taunted. "Should I get you a tennis ball to chase, too?"

"Sh-shut up! I just thought you'd rather do something that would take your mind off of Isabelle."

Shizu smirked. "You're right. Sorry." She started off down the street, glancing at him over her shoulder when he hesitated. "So where do you want to go? I'm up for anything." Her smirk fell to a frown. _Maybe I could have phrased that better._


	19. Chapter 19

There was no doubt about it; he liked her. Sitting across the table from her, it was hard not to stare. She looked so happy, eating sushi and smiling to herself. He wanted to hug her, but he knew it was out of the question. Especially right now. Shizu could be cold and volatile at the same time. It was just one of the things he liked about her. He grinned, realizing that there was a lot about her that he liked. She was tough and she refused to put up with nonsense. She was a good cook, she was pretty smart, and he even liked the way she protected Isabelle. It made him wonder how her boyfriend felt about her relationship with the blonde. He also wondered about Isabelle's relationship with that man from earlier. What could that man see in her? Ken disliked her. She was spoiled and sometimes when she looked at Shizu, he sensed something malevolent in her stare.

Ken saw Shizu's smile grow now and decided that it was what he liked best about her. That smile. It was usually over something simple like food or just talking with him. He wished that they could do this more often, but knew it was impossible. Even now, just eating dinner with her alone, was dangerous. Mukuro had made it clear to him many times that the girl belonged to him. Ken just could not stay away from her. He liked talking to her. He liked being with her. Color rushed to his cheeks when he realized that he had been staring and looked away quickly when she raised an eyebrow.

"What? Am I eating weird?" Shizu asked.

"N-no! You have a piece of rice stuck at the corner of your mouth," he replied quickly. His pulse sped up when he saw her swipe her thumb over the rice and then lick the grain away. She really did remind him of a cat. Ken laughed now. "Sushi makes you a happy kitty~?" he taunted. His grin returned when she frowned and tilted her head.

"Hm. If you must know, sushi is nostalgic for me," she answered, lifting a piece to examine it. The girl popped it into her mouth and beamed. "It was the first Japanese food I ever ate with Isa. Her parents wanted her to learn about my culture so they ordered sushi. Isa hates Japanese food though. She spat hers out so they had to get her something else."

Ken saw a sadness in her eyes and wondered if she had eaten sushi with her mother. He remembered what she had said about her past; she was an orphan with mixed blood. "What was the first Japanese food you ever had?"

"Miso soup and rice balls. My mother made that for breakfast every day when I was a kid. Her cooking was the best I ever had."

Again, there was that sadness in her amber eyes. "What was her name?"

Shizu bowed her head, obsidian locks of hair falling over her face. "Her name was Nanase Aiko." Her voice was very quiet, laced with melancholy. "Ken, where are _your_ parents?"

 **Shift P.O.V**

He never gave her an answer. Ken quickly changed the subject, leaving her to wonder if he was an orphan as well. The boy rarely talked about his past and when he did, it was ambiguous. He divulged very few details. They walked to her apartment and Shizu parted ways with him, going directly to her room.

She changed into a pair of grey shorts and a white t-shirt before collapsing onto her bed. In the sitting room, she could hear Isabelle talking excitedly to Xanxus. Shizu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It still irked her that he would come into her home. _What does Isa even see in him? He's fucking evil! Worthless! He's only_ _acting_ _interested in her! He has some kind of hidden agenda here, but I can't figure out what it is._

A tentative knock was heard at the door. "Hey, Shizu? Are you asleep already?" Isabelle asked. There was a slight slur to her words that told Shizu that she had been drinking.

"Yes, I'm still awake." Shizu sat up on her bed, wrapping her arms around herself. The bedroom was dark, lit dimly from streetlights that shone in through the curtain. It seemed to fit her mood perfectly; melancholic worry. "Do you need something, Isa?"

"I want you to come out here! Xanxus has to leave soon!" the blonde pouted.

Pale fingers ran through Shizu's short black hair. "I'm tired. And you should get some sleep when he leaves. We have school tomorrow."

Isabelle hiccupped and proceeded to knock on the door again. "Shiiiizuuu~ Come on! We'll skip school tomorrow and you can make me some hangover food!"

Shaking her head, Shizu got up and crossed the room. When the door was open, Isabelle grabbed her in a tight hug, beaming. "We're not skipping school," Shizu quickly stated.

"What?! No way! I can't go to school with a _hangover_ , Shizuki!"

"You should have thought of that before you got drunk." They walked out to the sitting room where Xanxus was lounging on the couch. "And _you_. What the hell were you thinking, giving her alcohol? Get the fuck out of our apartment."

He glared back at her, but stood. The man began to smirk slowly down at the girl. "You're fucking _pathetic_ , trash."

"Out. Now." Shizu waited for him to leave before turning to Isabelle with a stern look. "He's not allowed in here again. It's for the best, okay?"

After that, Isabelle cried and demanded that Shizu watch movies with her so the dark-haired girl was forced to sit with her friend for hours. The blonde passed out around two o'clock in the morning, but by then Shizu was too tired to drag herself to her bedroom. She curled up in the armchair beside the couch where Isabelle slept and drifted into restless slumber.

It had only been an hour. Somehow, she could feel that it had only been an hour. Shizu did not want to be awake, but she was and she slowly opened her eyes. The feeling of being watched was what had woken her and sure enough, a figure was standing in the darkness of the kitchen and staring at her intently. The girl wanted to ignore it. She wanted to go back to sleep. It was impossible though. Shizu glanced over at Isabelle as the dark figure did. When she raised her eyes again, the figure was closer.

Mukuro was standing right in front of her chair, half-smirking down at her. "Kufufu~ What's wrong, Shizu? You look so anxious."

"H-how did you get into my apartment? What the hell are you doing here?"

He put his hands on the armrests to either side of her, trapping the girl. "I just wanted to see you. Is it not alright for me to visit you?" Seeing Shizu's face turn pink, he leaned in closer so his face was inches from hers. "Although I would rather see you bound with black ribbon~"

She gritted her teeth, refusing to show fear. To be exact, it was more of a sense of unease rather than true fearfulness. Shizu did not suspect that he would kill her or maim her in any way. Mukuro just had an all-around unsettling aura. "You keep saying that. And no; it's not okay for you visit me like this. Get out."

The boy tilted his head, still wearing that look of amusement. "I don't like to see you so close with other people, you know." He saw her amber eyes widen. "Don't look so nervous. I'm not here to hurt you, little Shizu." One hand gripped her chin, holding her in place as he leaned in even closer. His other hand went to her collar. "Maybe I should get you a leash to go with this. I bet you would look cute, following me everywhere on your hands and knees."

Shizu could feel her face heating with a blush. Having his face so close to hers made her heart race and she hated it. "I wouldn't follow you. Now let go of me."

Mukuro saw her glance at Isabelle. The blonde was sleeping peacefully on the couch, facing away from them. He knew that their dog was in Isabelle's room and was also asleep. This was a great opportunity, but he was uncertain if he should take it. Looking back to Shizu, he saw the fear that was beginning to take form. That settled it. After all, it was her fear that he had first fallen in love with. His lips pressed against hers and he released her chin to run his fingers through her hair. She squirmed in his hold, trying to get him to let go of her collar.

Her hands went to his chest in an attempt to push Mukuro away, but he moved closer. She clenched her eyes shut when her chest pressed against his and bit down on his lower lip. Tasting iron, her lips quickly growing slippery with his blood, Shizu was finally able to push him away. Her eyes narrowed and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. He seemed completely unfazed by what she had done.

He was still gripping her collar, watching her intently as she wiped her mouth. "Kufufu~ You look so cute when you're angry," he started. Mukuro leaned in so his lips brushed her ear. "I think I would rather see you submissive. Wouldn't you like to submit and make things easier?"

"I never submit," she growled.

"I do like a challenge~" Mukuro moved away from her, releasing her collar.

Shizu was quickly standing and moving around him, watching the boy closely. _I don't know what I'm doing. I just know that I need to get away from him._ The girl cautiously started toward her bedroom, intending to get her weapon. "If you don't leave-"

"What will you do?" He was right behind her and as she turned around to face him, he gave her a push into the room.

She sprawled on her back on the floor, scowling as her bedroom door slammed shut. "Do you think I'll let you-?"

"What do you think this is?" he asked, his voice full of amusement. "This isn't me attacking you. This isn't about hurting you. This is about teaching you a lesson. You're going to learn who you belong to." He crouched in front of her, tilting his head in a cheerful sort of way that made goose bumps raise on her skin. "Don't look so frightened. I won't be as rough as Hibari. In fact, I believe we'll save that for another time." Mukuro moved fast and had her on her back, his lips lightly tracing over her neck as he gripped her collar with one hand and her wrists with the other. "I think I might invest in a leash after all. How else can I keep you from straying?"

Shizu thrashed beneath him and when she finally ran out of her energy, fatigue setting in, she lied back and glared up at him. "Why are you doing this?! Is it about me spending time with Ken?" she demanded.

"That's only part of it. You have a boyfriend now, don't you? Gokudera. What should I do about him? I doubt he would stay away if I told him to."

She snorted. "He wouldn't stay away even when Hibari attacked him."

"I see." His heterochromatic gaze narrowed down on her now. Something slithered over her wrists and seemed to pull them tightly together. When the he released her, she tried to move and found herself unable to bring her arms from above her head. "Black ribbon looks so beautiful on you."

 _Why can't I move my arms?! What did he do? He didn't let go of me for even a second so what is this? Is there someone else in the apartment? Someone hiding? And they tied my wrists like this. That has to be it, right?_ Shizu prepared to shout, wanting to get the dog's attention. If the dog heard her, it would at least bark enough to wake up Isabelle and Mukuro would leave. At least she hoped that he would. He leaned down to cover her mouth with his, fingers threading into her short black hair. Shizu felt his hips press against hers, grinding between her legs, and her pulse began to race. _What is he doing?! This can't be happening! It can't be! I'm just having a nightmare, right?! Tell me this is a nightmare!_ As if her body wanted to make this thought true, it began to give out from fatigue. Her vision turned blurry, soon fading to black, and her body went still on the floor beneath him. Before falling into unconsciousness completely, Shizu felt him pull away from her and heard him make a sound of disappointment.

Her alarm clock woke her and Shizu hurried to make breakfast. Her memory of the night before was fuzzy and the more she tried to remember what happened, the more her head began to hurt. She was preparing to wake Isabelle when her cellphone started to ring. A look at the screen showed an unfamiliar phone number, but she could guess who it was. "Hibari-senpai?"

"What are you doing?"

She frowned at the omelet she was sliding onto a plate. "I'm making breakfast and then I'm going to school. What do you want? I'm not doing morning patrol."

There was a long silence. "I need you to come here."

"What? I have school today. I'm not falling for this! You'll make me late and-!"

"You have to take responsibility for this." There was a sharp click. He left her with a dial tone, content that she had been given no choice.

 **Shift P.O.V**

He was left alone with his thoughts. Well mostly alone. At the very least, he was alone in this moment. Seated in the dark room he had claimed as his own, he shifted his grip on the souvenir he had taken from his visit to Shizu's apartment. It glinted beautifully in the dim morning light that filtered in through the boards on the windows. When he pressed the button on the end of the handle, spikes unsheathed all over the bat. The corner of his mouth lifted as he examined the weapon. He was not sure if she had named it, but it was polished lovingly. He imagined Shizu sitting on her bed, polishing this strange thing that meant so much to her.

"What is that?" a voice asked from the doorway.

Mukuro looked over quickly, having not realized that Ken and Chikusa were so close. He forced a normal half-smile in their direction and returned his gaze to the bat. "This is nothing."

Ken raised an eyebrow. It was obvious that he knew what it was. This fact irritated Mukuro, but they all knew that he would never show it. "So you visited Shizu last night?"

"Kufufu~ She's being difficult."

Now it was Chikusa's turn to be irritated. He did not know what either of them saw in her. To him, she looked too much like a boy. She acted high and mighty, too. As if she and her friend were so innocent. He knew what she was capable of. "Do you need us to run errands again?" he inquired casually. Chikusa honestly hoped that there would be something else to do. Something other than following Nanase and her bubbly friend.

Mukuro smirked, an idea coming to him. After Shizu had fainted, he had settled her on her bed. He looked through her phone and saw a few messages from Gokudera. "Why don't you pay her boyfriend a visit?"

"What about you? Why can't you do that?" Ken tried not to sound angry.

"I have other plans." Mukuro pushed the button on the end of the bat and watched the spikes retreat into their sheaths. The edge was now smooth. He stood and started across the room, carrying Shizu's weapon and running his fingers along the leather grip of the handle. "Is Chrome awake? I have a job for her to do."


	20. Chapter 20

He knocked on the door and stood waiting impatiently for a moment. His head tilted, trying to control his frustration. There was a reason for visiting this apartment, despite Shizu being gone. And he did know that she was gone. He had waited for her to leave. Of course, he knew where she was going. Even if it did make him irritated to know that she had run off to see Hibari. It was fine. He would find a way to punish her later for it. How she could act so carefree about talking to another boy, he did not understand. How she could not realize that she belonged to him, he did not understand. What he _did_ understand quite well was that Isabelle Capello was taking her time answering the door.

When the door finally opened, after he had knocked again, the blonde girl grinned. "It's you! Wow, I can't believe it! It feels like forever since you came to visit Shizuki!" Isabelle moved to hug him and pouted when he stepped around her into the apartment. The girl was wearing a pair of very short white shorts and a pink shirt with a low neckline, her blonde curls up in ponytails. For an instant, he imagined her face blue and the life drained from her eyes. It pleased him immensely and she mistook his smirk for him admiring her looks. "Too bad _Shizu_ isn't here. That weird prefect from school called her over."

"Kufufu~ What a shame. How are you this morning?" He could smell alcohol on her, even though he was standing a decent distance from her.

Isabelle closed the apartment door and settled on the couch with a cup of tea, eagerly telling him about some insignificant romance. Her blue eyes lit up with happiness as she spoke and he simply nodded with a false smile in place on his lips. Truth be told, he despised this girl. She was spoiled. She was demanding. She was manipulative. He knew that she treated Shizu as a plaything or a pet; something for her to toy with and try to control. It was part of the reason why he had gone to the apartment.

"So do you want to wait for her?" Isabelle asked, smiling coyly. She enjoyed talking to Mukuro, Ken, and Chikusa. They understood Italian. She hated speaking Japanese, even if she was getting better at it. In fact, she would give anything to be able to go back to Italy. Raising an eyebrow, her smile grew. "Oh~? You know, you're pretty cute. Not for _me_ , of course. I've got a pretty hot boyfriend. Maybe for Shizu. I bet you would look cute together. Too bad she already has _Gokudera_ , huh?"

"Such a shame." He felt his left eye twitch, but ignored it. The blonde did not seem to notice the twitch and continued to smile at him. Mukuro wanted to do it now. Isabelle was so stupid. She had not even noticed that he was holding Shizu's weapon. There was no need for illusions; this girl was too ignorant to see her own death approaching. Not yet, however. These things needed to be timed perfectly. The time was coming soon though. When Ken and Chikusa were finished with their task, he would strike. They could help him make this look like an accident, surely. Much as he hated to be so cruel to Shizu. "When do you think she will be back? I would hate for that prefect to taint her."

Isabelle snickered. "It's a little late for that! He took her virginity! What a _creep_ , right? I never gave him permission to touch her! I've only given that right to Gokudera and he hasn't even done anything yet!"

"What would you like to happen?" Mukuro needed to keep her talking. If she asked him to leave, he would need to act sooner than he would like to.

She sighed in exasperation. "I want Shizu to have a _baby_ , of course! So I can dress it up and stuff. But you know, I'm not sure I want Gokudera to stick around once it's born. I thought they would make a cute baby together, but maybe someone else would be better. Someone that will just do it and go. I hate sharing my Shizuki. I hate the thought of her leaving me and spending her life with some _boy_."

"What exactly is she to you, Isabelle?" He did not care. This was just a way to pass time until Chikusa and Ken started on their way to the apartment.

The girl sipped her tea and quirked an eyebrow. "People make assumptions all the time, you know. Most of them are true, of course. She's my bodyguard. My servant. When she was adopted, it was made very clear to me by my parents that she would never be my equal and that I should never treat her like she was." Her voice seemed to change. It was lower now, holding a different tone than before. She seemed almost livid with her parents when she spoke of them. "That didn't stop it from happening though. People think my life was so easy. That it still is. Do you know what it's like to grow up without love? My parents never loved me. You might think I'm a spoiled brat. Everyone does. But I grew up with no love from my parents. So it's only natural that my first love was Shizu."

Mukuro half-smiled now and it was genuine. He was amused. He had not suspected that she had this side to her. Isabelle always projected this shallow, spoiled persona. She was actually darker than that. He could see it in the way her blue eyes seemed to cloud over with yearning when she spoke of Shizu. At this point, Mukuro was more than happy to let her continue talking. It was killing time and it was proving to be more interesting than he had expected.

"She just seemed to _appear_ one day. My parents came up to my room with this girl. Her hair was short like a boy's and she was skin and bones. She was starved and bruised. I can't explain it, but it was love at first sight. Maybe it's because I thought she really needed me. Or I really needed her. But when I first saw her, I had to hold her. She was scared. She was shaking. And she was perfect. She hugged me back. It was the first time anyone hugged me. I mean, really and truthfully hugged me with love. The first time I felt love. I was twelve. I went the first twelve years of my life with _no love_. Can you imagine how that feels?" Isabelle lifted her eyes from the floor to stare at Mukuro curiously. "I guess not. But anyway…that's just how it is. She was my first love and I still love her. Before her, I never felt this way. Since I met her, I've never felt this way about another person. No one comes close. Just shallow, poor excuses for romance." There was a knock at the door and she turned her head. "Speaking of which."

Mukuro silently cursed himself for not acting sooner. Isabelle's boyfriend was there and he was forced to leave quickly. That was fine. He had more time now. He could plan a better way to get rid of Isabelle. The boy stood outside for a moment, staring down the sidewalk. Ken and Chikusa would arrive soon. Waiting without entertainment was out of the question so he half-closed his eyes and reflected back on the night before. He had been so close to Shizu, close enough to try to claim her, but it had been too much. Just a little too much for both of them. Just a little too soon. She just needed more time. Time away from Hibari, that boyfriend of hers, and especially time away from Isabelle. Even after hearing the story of how they met, how Isabelle fell in love with Shizu instantly, he still wanted to kill the blonde. He still _intended_ to kill her.

 **Shift P.O.V**

"What the hell is your problem?! I had to leave Isabelle home alone because of you! Don't think that I'm spending the day taking care of you; I'm not a nurse," Shizu growled when she entered Hibari's home. She stood still for a moment, frowning, and crossed her arms. It was silent in the home, as it had been when she had dropped Hibari off the day before. "Hibari-senpai?"

"Come here," his voice quietly echoed from down the hall.

She did not like the looks of this. Being alone with a boy, only bad things could happen. Her thoughts went to the past few times she had been alone with him. This was sure to end one of two ways; in violence or romance. "I'm not going into your room," she said firmly.

"Don't make me come out there, Nanase." Hibari's tone was dark, dangerous. When she failed to reply, the rustle of cloth alerted her to the blankets on his bed being pushed back. "If you don't come here, I might tear your friend apart. Imagine her face blue and her eyes lifeless. Imagine that being your fault."

Shizu scowled and went to stand in his doorway, glaring at him. The dark-haired boy was sitting on his bed, smirking across the room at her. "What do you want? Is your wound still bleeding? Are you still running a fever?"

"I'm perfectly fine, herbivore. Come closer."

Her hands curled into fists. "I don't want to be here. Isa needs for me to be there for her." She turned away, fully intending to leave, but felt his hand grip her wrist tightly. Shizu glared at the boy over her shoulder. "Let go of me."

"You need to be here for me," he stated, his grey eyes dark with anger. "I'm not letting you leave." Hibari saw the defiance in her stare and it ignited his lust. He wanted to see that defiance start to fade until it fell away. He wanted to watch her break. More than anything, however, was the desire to hear her say those words to him. Those words she had said what felt like an eternity ago. His hold on her wrist tightened. "Say it."

Shizu pulled her arm free with quite a bit of effort and stepped away from him. "I don't know what you're talking about! I'm going home!" She barely made it to the door before something struck the back of her head. Shizu's hand went to the area on impulse, thankfully blocking another strike. It made her right hand ache, but at least it was not her head. She turned toward him and ducked away from another strike of his tonfa.

Hibari grimaced at her evasiveness and moved quickly to attack again. This time he struck her throat with one sharp movement. Shizu gasped and was unable to move fast enough to evade another attack directed at her head. She fell against the wall and clenched her eyes shut to keep the tears of pain at bay. He threaded a hand into her hair and began to drag her toward the bedroom. She thrashed, a few hairs being pulled free from her scalp, and when she succeeded in breaking free she ran for the door. A strike to the back of her knees made her fall to the floor with a cry of pain. She tried to stand and fell again, panic making her heart begin to race.

He lifted her easily and was soon carrying her to his room, where he dropped her carelessly onto the floor. Hibari sat on his bed in front of her, the door now closed, and smirked as he watched her tremble with rage. "You look pathetic when you struggle, Nanase."

She gritted her teeth, her eyes closed as she felt the tonfa trace the side of her pale face. "I fucking _hate_ you," the girl snarled. Her teeth closed on the inside of her cheek as the tonfa struck her jaw. Her amber eyes opened, but were narrowed in rage. "If you think I'm going to cry and profess my love, you're out of your mind. Did you really think that you could force me to say something like that? Do you think that I'll love you just because you took my purity?"

The corner of his mouth lifted further. "You're going to say it."

"I won't. I swear I won't." Shizu trembled as she felt the tonfa trace along her jaw. There was no way of knowing what he might do next; he had proven so unpredictable in the past. His grey eyes held an intense desire in their depths and it made her nervous. More than nervous. It terrified her. "Why would I ever love you anyway?"

"Because I love you." The answer came immediately and he seemed not to care that such words had come from his mouth. It came out as a statement, a fact to him that was undisputed. There was no arguing with it. Hibari loved her and he needed her so if she wanted to know why he wanted her to love him, then why should he lie to her? The tonfa was set aside in favor of caressing the side of her face with his own hand. She was still shaking and it made his heart race pleasantly. Blood was rushing to her cheeks, warming his fingertips as they stroked over her skin. "Now say that you love me."

He was the first boy to ever say that he loved her. Shizu's own father had never said that he loved her so this was perplexing. She hated that she was blushing, even worse that the hand on her cheek felt so soothing. It was such a pleasant feeling that she found herself leaning into his touch and scowled when she noticed. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I'm not saying it." Immediately, he shoved her onto her back on the floor. She glared up at him and tried to back against the wall when he drew close. "Nothing you do-"

"I can wait all day, Nanase. I can keep you here for as long as it takes. You _will_ love me." Hibari was soon straddling her waist, frowning at her clothes. She was wearing jeans and a short-sleeved shirt. He had been hoping she would arrive in her school uniform, but he had called her before she had changed into it. Nothing pleased him more than to take her when she was in her uniform. As he pinned her wrists over her head with one hand, he wondered if he perhaps had a uniform fetish of some sort. Shrugging it off, he used his other hand to push up her shirt to reveal the plain black bra beneath. Hibari smirked and leaned down to her ear. "I want to tear this off of you, herbivore."

Shizu's eyes closed, feeling his hand move up to massage her breast. She hated him. She had to. Wasn't he a creep like every other guy? She was certain that he was. So why did this feel so good? Her head was thrown back as she bit her lip, feeling his fingertips dig beneath her bra to her bare flesh. His skin felt warm against her own, moving roughly yet sensually over her soft skin as he shifted from one breast to massage the other. Her back arched and her hips involuntarily bucked up against his, making him groan very quietly. "Hibari-senpai~"

Hearing her moan his name, however soft a sound it was, made his pulse grow faster instantly. His hips pressed against hers, his member rubbing between her legs through her jeans and his pajama pants. Hibari felt her struggling to get her hands free, one of her legs subconsciously wrapping around his waist. He was reluctant to release her, expecting her to fight him. The girl's pale fingers first dug into his dark hair and then rushed to open his pajama shirt. He smirked and let her unbutton his shirt, watching her face grow redder and redder. She froze suddenly, remembering where she was and what she was doing. The color drained from her face and Shizu looked away quickly. "L-let me go."

His smirk fell to a frown and he thrust his hips against hers, making her whimper softly. "You think I can stop that easily? I want you," he stated. Hibari bit her ear gently and heard that whimper once more. "I want to take you in every room of my home. I want to keep you here, all to myself. I'm going to _take_ you. I'm going to _have_ you. Now say it or I might break both of your legs and leave you here while I tear apart that blonde bitch that you call a friend."

She narrowed her eyes again, angry that she had ever found his touch pleasurable. "I…love you…Hibari-senpai." The words were forced out angrily. " _Happy_?"

"Not until you _mean_ those words." His gaze filled with malevolence and lust once more. "I can keep you here for as long as I want. You belong to me, herbivore."

Shizu's mouth opened as a soft growl left her lips and found his mouth pressing against hers. His fingertips ran lightly over her chest, raising goose bumps in their wake. Her body twitched and fidgeted as he repeated the action over and over, enjoying her reaction. "Y-you're insane," she muttered, unable to believe that she was enjoying his touch again already.


	21. Chapter 21

Author's Note: I want to take a moment to thank everyone who reads this and send a special thanks to everyone who leaves reviews! I really appreciate it! I hope you like this new chapter! :)

A week had passed since the incident, but it still bothered Shizu. She had managed to get out of Hibari's home mostly unscathed, though her body hurt and she had collected various bruises. Kyoko and Hana had met with her and Isabelle that night to tell them that the school was closed temporarily. A number of dead bodies had been found on campus and the police were investigating. Shizu had a suspicion regarding who had committed the murders, but said nothing. In addition to this madness, she found her weapon missing from her room and heard that Gokudera had been in a vicious fight with someone.

 _At least I haven't been bothered_ , she thought as she walked home from the store. Mukuro and his friends had not visited her in the past week, which made things slightly easier for her. Whenever she tried to remember that night, when she had fallen asleep in the armchair, her head began to hurt horribly. _Am I suppressing some horrible memory? It feels like something important happened, but…_

"Nanase!" a familiar voice shouted from behind her.

The girl turned to look over her shoulder and half-grinned. "Where have you been?" she greeted Gokudera. She was blushing faintly, trying to ignore the way that he also blushed.

"Shut up. I've just been busy." He grimaced at the amount of food she was purchasing. "Are you having a party or something?"

"Hm. Sort of? Isa invited that creep over for dinner tonight." Shizu sighed in irritation. "I hate that guy. I wish she would just find someone better."

He shrugged. "I could come over. I mean if it would make you feel better. It's not like I don't have better things to do tonight."

She snickered. "Fine. Why not? Misery loves company, right?" They walked on for a while in silence. Shizu was trying not to think of what had happened between her and Hibari. She felt guilty about what had happened, but at the same time it was strictly physical on her part. The prefect still made her angry and it seemed to drown out any other emotions she might feel toward him. "That's crazy about the school, right?"

"Some of the dead bodies were from that one night."

The girl shrugged. She remembered that night of course. The night that Reborn sent thugs to attack her and Gokudera as a test to see if she was fit to join the Vongola. "As long as I don't get arrested. As long as I can keep protecting Isabelle."

"That prissy princess is in love with you, isn't she?"

"It's a sisterly love. Not like you would understand even if you tried." She shook her head. "Sorry. I'm just in a bad mood. My weapon went missing and it's pissing me off."

"Just get a new one. Use a knife or something." Gokudera lit a cigarette and took a deep inhale. "I'm surprised you care so much about that thing. It's worse than your tattoo." He saw her raise an eyebrow and scowled. "It's symbol of your _servitude_! How can you want it back?!"

"It's more than that! My weapon was a symbol of my _strength_! It was a symbol of _belonging_! An end to my being alone!" Shizu walked faster, not caring if he was unable to keep up. She liked Gokudera a lot, but she was quickly becoming irritated. _It always comes to this! He acts like it's the worst thing in the world for me to be Isa's bodyguard!_

He reached out, gripping her arm gently and frowning. "I didn't mean to make you upset." To his surprise, she actually stopped walking and turned to him. "I just don't like seeing you dote over her like that."

Shizu smirked and grabbed the front of his shirt to bring his face closer to hers. "Hm? Is someone maybe a little _jealous_?" she teased, meeting his green eyes with her amber ones. His cheeks were rapidly turning a light pink and he looked away. Her smirk grew and she pressed her lips to his. He was surprised for a moment, but soon wrapped an arm around her and returned the kiss, enjoying the way she lightly bit his lower lip. She closed her eyes, her heart racing. When the girl pulled away from him, her face was red and she kept her gaze averted. "Don't be jealous like that creepy prefect, okay? I really like you. I just…have things that I need to do. I'm sorry. It's not like I care about her in the same way that I care about you."

Gokudera saw her smirk fall to a frown when she finally glanced over again. He had hoped that she would not notice. The deep bruises that were still fading and the cuts that were still healing. "What? It's nothing."

"Who did you get in a fight with? Everyone knows that you got in a fight with someone. Who was it?" she demanded. When he refused to answer, she grabbed the front of his shirt again. "Tell me who it was or I'll-!"

"What are you going to do?" he taunted. A slow smirk took form and he leaned down to her eye level. "You don't even know what you would do. Don't make stupid threats you can't finish. It doesn't matter anyway." Gokudera pulled out of her hold and started to walk away.

She scowled and hurried to keep up with him. "Don't assume that I'm going to forget this! I'll just keep bothering you until you tell me who you fought!" When he went silent, she realized that he had no plans to speak of what had happened. _Idiot. What does he think I'm going to do?_ Shizu sighed and shook her head. "Whatever. Not like I really care anyway."

When they arrived at the apartment, they were greeted ecstatically by Isabelle. The blonde had her curly hair up in ponytails and was dressed in a fashionable rose pink dress and a white jacket. "You took _forever_! Don't tell me you stopped to make out! If he's going to take so much of your time-!"

The dark-haired girl held up a hand, frowning. "That's not what happened. I took the long way to the store," she interrupted.

Isabelle frowned back and sighed in irritation. "Whatever. So what's for dinner?"

Shizu moved around her friend to get to the kitchen, glad when Gokudera followed her. He stood against the wall, his arms crossed. "I'm making my specialty."

"What?! Why can't you make something Italian? Or at least American?"

The girl lifted her eyes from the beef that she had started to prepare and grimaced. "Is he not here yet?" she inquired, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"Xanxus? I canceled my plans with him." Her blue eyes looked a bit watery, as if on the verge of tears. "I know you don't like him, Shizu. You can't hide that from me."

"Yeah, but I want you to be happy," she argued. "If you want to see him, invite him over. He makes you happy, doesn't he? Even if I think he's an _evil jerk_ , you should still be happy, Isa." Shizu began cooking the meat, absently chewing the inside of her cheek as she did.

"Hmm…you know what would make me _really_ happy though? We should invite Mukuro-san over. He's so interesting!"

"No." The word came from Gokudera, who had a slight sheen of panic in his eyes. He was trying to maintain his composure, but something was obviously bothering him.

It made Shizu raise an eyebrow. _Was he fighting Mukuro? Is that why he's so battered?_ Shaking her head, she started to work on the sauce for the meat. "We're not having Mukuro-san over. How about Yamamoto-kun and Tsuna-kun?"

Isabelle's eyes lit up. "Yes! Yamamoto! I almost forgot about him!" She turned toward Gokudera with a frown. "You. Call him for me."

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Huh? Nanase-san and Capello-san's apartment? What time? Soon? Uh…yeah. That sounds good. Let me tell my mom and we'll be there in a few minutes." Tsuna put his phone into his pocket and turned to Yamamoto. "So you heard all of that?"

The other boy grinned. "It sounds fun. It's been a while since we got to hang out with Isabelle and Shizu. But didn't Isabelle say that her boyfriend is in town?"

Tsuna winced. He knew who she claimed her boyfriend was. "Yeah, but I guess he's not there right now." At least, he hoped not. He hoped that Gokudera would not call them over when Xanxus was there. They started out of the room, but stopped when Tsuna heard Reborn.

"I'll go with you," he announced.

"Huh? Um…why?"

Reborn smiled, but there was the gesture was hardly benevolent. "I need to talk to Shizuki," was his reply. "I have a job for her to do tonight."

"A job?" Tsuna soon realized what was going on. "Wait! You can't just-!"

"I had her join for a reason. My ultimate goal to pry her away from the Capellos. She could be a valuable asset to the Vongola family."

 **Shift P.O.V**

Shizu was not used to talking to a baby. She had to constantly remind herself to keep her eyes lowered down to his level. He started by talking about some mundane things. He explained as much as he could about the Vongola family, with her only half-listening. Sitting at the table were Isabelle, Tsuna, Yamamoto, and Gokudera while she sat in the sitting room talking with Reborn. It was not where she wanted to be. "So I have a question," she finally interrupted. "Is there some way you can protect Isabelle from Xanxus?"

He frowned and lifted a slice of grilled beef to examine it. "Not possible."

"Why not?!" Shizu kept her voice as quiet as possible. "I don't like him being so close to her! He's an _evil jerk_! Just tell him that he can't be around her!"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?!" she repeated, her anger growing.

"What kind of sauce is this?"

She sighed in frustration and ran her fingers through her short, scruffy black hair. "My mom taught me how to make it when I was a kid. A little ponzu, soy sauce, rice vinegar, some chili powder, a bit of lemon." The girl knew he was not going to speak to her again about Xanxus. She watched him chew the piece of meat and saw a smile take form on his face. "You really like, huh?"

"It's interesting. You should come to Tsuna's house and cook with his mom."

The thought of doing this pained her. She shook her head, knowing that she could never cook with someone else's mother. It would just be a painful reminder of times long past. Of every night when she was a child, cooking with her own mother. Her mother that she would never see again. "So what are you doing here?"

He sipped from the juice that she had poured for him and lifted his gaze to hers. It was hard to read his emotions through his eyes; they were a shiny pebble black that conveyed nothing. "I have a job for you tonight. Remember the baseball field incident?"

"Yes. What about it? I can't do it again. My weapon's been missing for the past week."

Reborn stared up at her for a moment, seemingly in amusement. "You really don't remember," he muttered, tugging the brim of his hat down to shade his eyes. "You can use a different weapon. A normal bat, for instance. Or a knife."

She grimaced at the idea of using either. "Do I get paid for this?"

"Of course." He helped himself to another piece of meat and his smile returned. "Do you want someone to go with you?"

"What do you mean? I'm not taking Isabelle anywhere dangerous."

"Of course not. She's weak." He saw her open her mouth to protest and he continued to talk. "I meant Gokudera or Yamamoto."

Shizu glanced over at her friends. They were mostly oblivious to the conversation taking place in the sitting room. All of them except for Gokudera, who was watching her. "I guess…Gokudera and I work well together."

"I know. You love him, don't you?"

Her eyes widened. "N-no. I mean…I like him. Look, it's not really your business." She remembered what he had said before, when she first met him. He had said that Hibari had told him things about her. That Hibari claimed she was his. "I know what you're going to say."

"How do you know?" he countered, finishing his food.

"Because. I bet Hibari told you already. About that stupid thing that happened last week."

"I know that most of the bodies around the school were your fault." There was a darkness in his tone that made her shiver. "You didn't know."

"I didn't." Shizu listened to the job proposal and when he was finished talking, she quietly accepted. _It will be good to blow off some steam anyway. Having that jerk Xanxus hanging around has put me in a bad mood for the past week._

When the guests were gone, she sat alone for a while in the sitting room. Isabelle had gone to her own room to talk on the phone with Xanxus, leaving their dog with Shizu. _What am I going to do? I should have picked Yamamoto to work with, but what if he's the same as Gokudera? Last time, he said I shouldn't have killed those boys. What else can I do? If we let them live, they'll come after us later. That would put Isabelle at risk. I can't let that happen._ She leaned back against the couch cushions and sighed, absently petting the Labrador at her side.

A knock at the door, a bit cautious and quiet, drew her attention soon and she opened the door to find Ken. He had fading bruises on his face and neck, but gave her a sheepish grin when he saw her examining him. "What? See something you like?" he taunted, stepping into the apartment.

"What the hell happened to you?" She already knew. Why he and Gokudera had fought, she did not know. Shizu fixed him a plate of leftovers, seeing him start to drool a little when he looked over at them. She sat with him at the table, watching him inhale the food.

"I fell down some stairs," he replied. "We can't all be as graceful as a cat."

She snorted. "Do you even know how ridiculous you are?" she teased. He licked his lips and blood rushed to the girl's face. "So what brings you here so late?"

"I heard that you had a job tonight." Ken saw her raise an eyebrow. "Mukuro said you did anyway. I'm here to help."

"You're not helping me. I have a boyfriend for that," she stated. Shizu expected his grin to fall, but it remained intact. "What? Don't tell me-"

"I'm just going to follow to make sure you don't get hurt. If you need backup, I'll just jump in. You can't talk me out of this. It's either me or Chikusa." He saw her grimace and his grin grew. "Come on! You know you think I'm cute!"

Again, she snorted. "Yeah, I mean, in a puppy sort of way." Shizu had finally managed to get her blushing under control when he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.


	22. Chapter 22

She was bored with her conversation. Her boyfriend, or the man she called her boyfriend, had been drinking. He offered her no compliments or flowery words when she said she loved him. Even if it had been a shallow confession, he could have at least reacted. His lack of reaction was what really irritated her. Isabelle ended the call and lounged for a moment on her bed, absently twirling a strand of her long blonde hair around one finger. She listened intently for noises outside of her bedroom and heard nothing. Curiosity got the best of her and just as she stood to leave her room, she heard a knocking at the apartment door. "Coming~"

As she had suspected, Shizu was missing. There was no note on the counter or even a text message left from earlier. Pouting, Isabelle opened the apartment door to find a thankfully familiar face. "Mukuro! You're looking for Shizu?"

He half-smiled, though it was sinister. Of course, the girl was unable to see this. She had a way of mentally filtering things to suit her own wants. "Actually, I'm looking for Ken."

"Oh." Her shoulders drooped for an instant before she remembered how unattractive that looked. "Well Ken isn't here and neither is Shizu. Hm?" She smiled sheepishly as her eyes landed on the object he held in his hand. "Isn't that Shizu's bat? Where did you find it?"

This was meant to be another attempt on her life. He had learned from the previous attempt that she was oblivious to his intentions, to any sort of danger it would seem. "I found it outside," he replied simply. "Do you mind if I come in and wait?"

"You think she went off to meet Ken?" Isabelle stepped aside to allow him entrance. "He's too scruffy-looking, if you ask me. And you know, he keeps getting close to Shizu. It really pisses me off!" She closed the door and sighed in frustration. "Gokudera too. You know, he met up with her today on her way home from the store? She usually only takes half an hour at the store and today it took forty-five minutes!"

Mukuro chose not to acknowledge how spoiled she was acting. It would raise too many questions. Such as, why was she timing Shizu's store trips? Did she always time them? How did she know who Shizu was getting closer to? Was Shizu under constant surveillance? Instead of voicing any of these questions, he simply tilted his head. "Kufufu~ You care a lot for her, don't you? I remember you said that she was your first love."

"Is. She _is_ my first love. There's no past tense to that because I haven't felt that way about anyone else. I mean, what am I supposed to do anyway?" This conversation was quickly turning toward deep so she shook her head. "Oh! I know! I have these pictures from back then! You have to see them, Mukuro!"

He stood in the sitting room, watching her walk away, and mentally debated where he should kill her. In the apartment, but would it be best to do it in her room or near the apartment door where it could look like a failed burglary? His heterochromatic eyes shifted to the Labrador suddenly standing in front of him. She was staring up at him in an almost unsettling way and he was soon wondering how to handle the dog. She might try to attack or she might not. He could always close her in a different room when he killed Isabelle. Though it would need to be quick. He did not want to linger and risk Shizu finding him standing over the blonde's corpse.

"Here it is~" Isabelle entered the room with a photo album clutched to her chest and grabbed his free hand with hers. She pulled him over to the couch and sat, making him sit beside her. It sort of confused him. This was not part of his plan. Oblivious to her imminent death, Isabelle flipped open the book to the first page and pointed, positively beaming. "See? That's the day I met her! Her tattoo was still fresh so her arm was wrapped."

Mukuro looked at the photo and frowned. It was a picture of a young girl, skinny and covered in bruises and scrapes. Her hair was black and cropped short like a boy's. The girl's eyes were amber, shimmering with unshed tears. She was wearing a baggy shirt and pants, the sleeve of right arm was pushed up to display the wrapped tattoo. This version of Shizu would make most cringe. It was pitiful. He half-smiled at Isabelle's enthusiasm. "She looks so different."

"I know! She was always nervous back then, too!" Isabelle beamed. "Oh! Let me see if I can find the album from middle school! I went to a party and my parents had Shizu go as my chaperone. She looked so cute wearing a suit!" The girl walked back toward her bedroom, leaving Mukuro alone with the Labrador. It was a fatal mistake. Standing in her room was an unfamiliar man with a long blade. Isabelle opened her mouth to ask who he was, to demand why he was in her bedroom, but she never had the chance. Her shoulder was gripped by the man, the blade was shoved through her abdomen, and he pulled it back out all in a matter of seconds. The man stepped back, watching her fall to her knees.

Isabelle's sky blue eyes widened, staring down at the hole in her chest. When she screamed, it made her chest ache and came out high-pitched. Her hands went to the wound, trying to hold it closed, but blood was rapidly leaving her body. The girl's dress was turning crimson, the blood around the wound so thick that it looked black. She lifted a hand to stare at the dark liquid and screamed again. Her body began to shake, tears forming in her eyes. Isabelle was smart enough to know what was happening. "I'm…dying…" she muttered in Italian. She knew that she had to get help if she wanted to live, but her phone had been left in the living room with Mukuro. The girl curled up in a ball on the floor, trembling and sobbing quietly.

Footsteps came down the corridor and Mukuro stood in the doorway. In a way, he was relieved that someone else had done it. He had started to doubt whether or not he could really take something so previous to Shizu and destroy. The boy met her gaze and she started to move toward him. Judging from the pool of blood on the floor and the massive amount of blood on her dress and hands, the girl was most certainly going to die. Soon after standing, she fell to her knees and sobbed pathetically. "Kufufu~ What happened here?"

"H-help me…" she quietly begged. Isabelle reached a bloody hand toward him, but it fell short of being able to grab him. "Mukuro…please…find Shizu…"

He shook his head and half-smiled. The girl would be dead soon enough. His only regret was that he had not been able to use Shizu's weapon to end the blonde's life. Mukuro took a step back now, watching her sky blue eyes fill with shock. The color was starting to leave her face. It was just a matter of time.

 **Shift P.O.V**

It was absolutely horrifying to watch Shizu fight. Gokudera did his best to avoid her when she started to grin and Ken, from his vantage point on a roof nearby, cringed when Shizu started to laugh. The job was soon done, the girl flicking the blood off of the knives she had used. She seemed more hyper than usual. Happier than usual. It was terrifying.

Leaving the gory mess, Shizu walked alongside Gokudera. She knew Ken would follow at a distance, but she was still unsure of why he insisted. "What? You keep looking at me weird," she finally commented to Gokudera. "And where do you think you're going? Do you think you're sleeping over or something?"

He scowled and lit a cigarette. "Why would I want to stay over? I don't like that your prissy little princess thinks we're a source of entertainment for her."

"If you keep calling her that, she'll eventually find out."

"I don't care if she finds out," he argued.

"She might get mad." Shizu's happiness was quickly fading. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she sighed. "I don't like it any more than you do, but if it means we can date…"

"We haven't even done anything," Gokudera muttered. His phone started to ring and he check the number, his expression instantly shifting to satisfaction. "It's the Tenth. I'm going to go see him. Call me tomorrow, got it? If you don't, I'll just come over."

"Fine." Shizu leaned up to kiss him, blushing at how he ran his fingers through her hair. "See you tomorrow~" The girl continued on down the street, the darkness hiding the blood that was splattered on her hands, face, and clothes. She frowned to herself and hoped that Isabelle was either asleep or in her room with her boyfriend. _As much as I hate him, he makes her happy. I just wish he wouldn't bring alcohol whenever he visits her. She can never handle the hangover the next day._ Shizu heard Ken's footsteps behind her and smirked. "Come here, boy~"

The blonde boy grimaced, but blushed pink at her words. "Had fun hunting _mice_?" he taunted. "You know you had a creepy look on your face when you were fighting."

She snickered. "So I've heard. There's nothing wrong with enjoying your work though."

" _That's_ your work?"

"Well more like a second job. Why were you staring at my face though? What, were you _drooling_ over it~?" Shizu ruffled her short black hair and sighed. "It's a good workout though. Fighting. It's not like I really enjoy killing people, just so you know. I just…feel important? I don't think that's right exactly, but I don't know how else to describe it. I just feel like I'm helping somehow."

Ken smirked. "You're really weird."

"You know I don't know how to be normal," Shizu stated. "And anyway, I don't care if you think I'm weird. As long as Isabelle never finds out about what happened tonight." The thought of Isabelle finding out made her cringe. She would surely look at Shizu with disgust if she found out. She might even start to act afraid of her. Shizu would never be able to live with herself if Isabelle feared her. "So what exactly are _you_ doing?"

"What? I'm walking you home."

"I already have a guard dog."

He raised an eyebrow. "Lucy is no guard dog. Have you seen her beg strangers to rub her stomach? I just want to make sure you get home safely."

She bit her lip to keep from laughing. "You want some leftovers, don't you?"

"Well if you have any." He heard laughter escape her and frowned. "What? Your cooking is pretty good. Even Chikusa likes it."

"Oh really?" Shizu continued on down the street, contemplating what to make for dinner the next night. _Lunch for tomorrow, too. Isabelle wanted pasta yesterday, but I said no. Maybe I should make some tomorrow. A nice baked pasta might be good. I know she really likes it._ Pausing in front of the convenience store, she tilted her head. "Ken, let's stop in here," she determined. Shizu found a pint of Isabelle's favorite ice cream and treated Ken to a popsicle, smirking when she saw him immediately open it after leaving. "What flavor did you pick?"

"What? You want some~?" he teased her, grinning. "Here." He waited for the girl to open her mouth before pushing the frozen treat past her lips. "You _like_ that?"

She hated that she was blushing now and shifted her eyes away from his. Pulling away from it, she frowned. "Y-yeah, I guess it tastes good." To her irritation, he laughed. "What? What's so damn funny, Ken?"

"You looked cute with your lips around it," he remarked, seeing her face turn bright red. He licked up the length of the popsicle and smirked. "Peach flavor~"

"Sh-shut up! Ugh! You're being more vulgar than Mukuro right now!" She was grinning, despite saying this. _Why do I feel so relaxed around him? It's like talking to him instantly cheers me up when I get mad. I'm dating Gokudera though. It's kind of dangerous for Ken to be around me anyway; Hibari might try to mess with him like he did with Gokudera._

The apartment door was unlocked, much to Shizu's irritation. "Isa, you can't leave the door unlocked! Do you realize how dangerous that is?" she called. The girl's smile fell when there was no response. Lucy came bounding out of Isabelle's bedroom and when she came into the light, Shizu saw something crusted on the dog's muzzle. "Lucy? What is that?" A familiar smell wafted to her nose and Shizu's blood ran cold. "Isa? Are you home?" she called, a bit louder than before.

"I smell blood," Ken commented, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

The instant he said this, Shizu dropped her convenience store bag and rushed down the hallway to Isabelle's room. The lights were on, shining upon the absolute horror that was awaiting her. The blonde was lying curled up on her side on the floor, her skin ashy and her body unmoving. The floor around her was a deep crimson, nearly black. Her hands were covered in blood, fresh upon layer over layer of dried blood. When Shizu entered the room, a gasp escaped her. The smell of blood was nearly overpowering as she sank to her knees in the pool beside Isabelle. "…Isa…?" She saw the girl's fingers twitch and she looked down into Isabelle's sky blue eyes. "C-can you hear me?"

The girl she served, the girl who was like a sister to her, met Shizu's gaze and shed tears. "Shi…zu…ki…" Isabelle lifted a hand, reaching for her friend. For her first love. For her only love. Their fingers touched, Shizu's warm against Isabelle's cold, and the two winced. "I-I'm…not going to…make it…"

"No! Isa, you're going to live! Alright?! You can't die!" Tears rolled down Shizu's cheeks as Isabelle dragged herself closer. The blonde's head rested on her friend's lap and she stared up into Shizu's eyes with a deep despair. "Isa! You can't die! You can't leave me alone!"

"…you won't…be alone…" Isabelle grimaced, more tears falling down her ashen face. "Shizu…just…remember…I love you…"

"No! Isa, come on!" It was too late and they both knew it. Isabelle's life drained from her eyes, her cold fingers laced with Shizu's warm ones. "Isa! Damn it! You can't do this to me! You can't fucking do this! Isa…" The tears fell from Shizu's face, dripping onto Isabelle's cold, dead face. Her free hand moved to smooth blonde curls away from her friend's face.

"Shizu?" Ken had not wanted to go near the room. He knew what Mukuro had planned. This was not at all what Mukuro had said that he would do. The blonde girl had been stabbed through the abdomen with something much sharper than Shizu's spiked bat. Seeing the dark-haired girl holding her dead friend, he felt guilt settle heavily in the pit of his stomach. "Shizu…" When she lifted her gaze to him, he saw the tears. He saw the fear and the confusion. It nearly broke his heart. "I'm sorry…Shizu, I'm so sorry…" Ken moved without thinking.

When he sat beside her on the floor, pulling her close, she was first annoyed. It melted away when she felt his tears. She let him hold her, crying into his shoulder and wrapping her free arm around him. "I don't know what to do now…my sister…Isabelle was all that I had…"

"Just let it all out." He felt her shaking, trying to silence the sound of her sobbing. She was free now. Ken knew that she was now free to do whatever she wanted with her life. Seeing her like this though, so pained and unable to even stand. Clinging to her friend's dead body. It made him regret helping Mukuro. It made him question so much.


	23. Chapter 23

"Is Shizu-chan alright?" Kyoko was the first to speak of the girl's absence. They all knew what had happened to Isabelle and had accompanied Shizu to the airport to deliver the coffin. It was going to be transported back to Italy so Isabelle could be buried in her family's cemetery. After that, no one had seen Shizu for two weeks. The school had reopened and classes resumed, but there was no sign of the girl.

Gokudera slouched in his seat, listening to Tsuna try to explain that she was alright. He knew the truth though. She had moved soon after delivering the coffin and was living in a house now. She refused to leave her new home, even for groceries. Shizu ate very little and only when he brought her food and insisted. He went to visit her nearly every day to take the dog out for walks and make sure that Shizu was still alive.

"Maybe we should visit her," Hana suggested. "It might cheer her up a little. Gokudera, you know where she lives now, right?"

"It might not be such a good idea," Tsuna started.

"It's fine." Gokudera knew it might at least get Shizu to start talking again. She had been silent since delivering the coffin, barely even looking at him when he came to visit. If Kyoko and Hana visited her, she might at least feel obligated to speak. He felt someone watching him and glanced toward the hallway. Standing outside of the classroom was Hibari. It surprised Gokudera that the prefect had yet to pay Shizu a visit. _If he did, she might at least be angry. At least then she would feel something other than sadness. I can't get her to talk to me. I can barely get her to eat. There has to be someone that can get her to snap out of this depression._

 **Shift P.O.V**

"Are you feeling better today?" He frowned and tilted his head. The girl was silent, drawing in a sketchbook. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, the black Labrador sitting beside her. Ken lifted the plastic convenience store bag and attempted a smile. "I got ice cream. Do you want some? It's peach-flavored."

Shizu spared him a brief glance before returning to her sketch. Beside her, Lucy whimpered for attention. She reached over to pet the dog and sighed quietly. After delivering Isabelle's coffin to the airport, the Capellos gave her a severance pay and disowned her. Shizu used what money she had to buy this house. There was still money left over, which she silently gave to Gokudera to buy food for Lucy, but she knew that it would run out soon. She had no plans for when this happened. _I can leave Lucy with Gokudera or Yamamoto. I know they would take good care of her._

Ken sighed and sat next to her, digging in the bag for an ice cream bar. "Look, I know it hurts. I know you don't want to talk about it. I won't make you. I just can't stand to see you this way," he quietly said as he unwrapped the frozen treat. Taking a small bite of it, he let it melt in his mouth as he watched her continue to sketch. The picture she was working on seemed to be a woman with long, flowing black hair and a sweet smile. Ken moved a little closer to her and looked at it a bit more. "That's your mom, isn't it? Aiko-san?" To his relief, she nodded. "She's beautiful. You must have gotten your looks from her."

Color rushed to her cheeks, but she remained silent. _I'm pretty, huh? Going to be a really pretty corpse then, when I'm gone._ She put down her pencil and closed her eyes, feeling the despair seem to leak into every fiber of her being. Her shoulders drooped and her eyes began to burn slightly. _Why even bother now? What's my purpose? I was supposed to protect her. I was supposed to keep her safe and happy for her whole life. I left for such a short time and look what happened. I failed Isabelle. I failed her parents. I'm a failure. What's left for me to do but end it? I don't even know what exactly happened. She didn't tell me. None of the neighbors saw anything. So what happened to her?_

The blonde boy took another bite from his ice cream and tilted his head. "Are you sure you're not hungry?" She nodded once. "If you don't eat, you won't have the strength to avenge her." Shizu raised an eyebrow and glanced over at him, her amber eyes shining with unshed tears. "Yeah. I mean, you want to hunt him down, right? We might be able to interrogate some local guys and see if they know anything." Her eyes widened at this and she nodded once again. "You have to eat something though." To his surprise, she leaned over and took a big bite from his ice cream bar. Watching her lick melted ice cream from the corner of her lips, he blushed red.

Shizu set aside her sketchbook and stood, startling the Labrador at her side. "Alright." Her voice was raspy and she sounded as if she was fighting off the urge to cry, but it was still good to hear her speak after two weeks of silence. "What do you want to eat?" She gave him the smallest of half-smiles as the tears ran down her pale cheeks.

"You're not cooking! Come on, we'll go get something!" He located Lucy's leash and put it on her, ready to go until he saw that she was not dressed to go out. "Uh. You want to maybe change first?"

Remembering what she was wearing, a pair of sweat pants and a hooded sweatshirt, she frowned. "Just give me a second." Shizu went to her bedroom and dug around until she found a pair of black pants and a black t-shirt. Once she was dressed, she put on a pair of sneakers and clipped her hair back to reveal her piercings. Pausing at the door, she gazed down at her left forearm. Her newest tattoo was still quite vibrant; a purple and blue butterfly symbolizing Isabelle. Running her fingers over it gently, Shizu proceeded out to meet with Ken.

"So where do you want to go?" He offered a grin, quite glad that she was finally out of her house. Since Isabelle's death, Mukuro had distanced himself from Shizu. Chikusa and Chrome were no longer required to watch her and neither was Ken, but he came to visit her anyway. He worried what she might do and had a bad feeling that her thoughts had turned darker recently. To see her outside in the afternoon sunlight, a gleam of determination in her eyes, made him very happy.

"Hm. Doesn't matter where we go," she replied, absently biting her thumbnail. "Just some food. Then we start the hunt."

The two chose a stand selling soba and after eating, Ken found a place to leave Lucy while they proceeded to hunt down various local thugs. None of them seemed to know what the two were talking about, costing them their lives. Watching her fight, he was still surprised that a girl like her possessed such strength. She was short for her age and very thin. She had lost weight over the past two weeks, which only made her look more sickly. There were dark circles under her eyes and as she butchered each of the thugs with a kitchen knife, tears flowed down her cheeks. He wanted to tell her how he felt. That he was worried about her, that he loved her. It would never work out though. Even if Mukuro was avoiding her, Ken knew that he still wanted Shizu. Pursuing the girl himself would mean facing Mukuro's wrath.

Shizu was reluctant to part ways with Ken, but knew that Gokudera would be visiting her when he got out of school. He had come to visit every day for the past two weeks and while she appreciated his concern, she felt horrible that she had refused to speak with him. _He's going to be so surprised. Ken didn't realize it, but he reminded me. I_ _do_ _have a purpose still; to avenge Isa. I won't let the bastard that killed her continue to live while she rots in the ground! Xanxus, too! I'll paralyze him with my spiked bat and then cut him up while he's still alive! That will show him! If he had insisted on seeing her, she might still be alive!_ The girl froze when she came to her house, seeing a gathering of familiar people at her doorstep. "Oh…hello, everyone."

Gokudera's eyes went wide. She had refused to speak the past two weeks, to even leave her house, and here she was out walking the dog and speaking again. Worse, there was a splatter of blood on her clothes. It was so dark that it was hardly noticeable on the black shirt and pants, but he could tell it was there. "Nanase, what the hell-?"

"Shizu-chan!" Kyoko gave her a hug and Shizu raised an eyebrow. "Are you feeling okay? We heard you weren't eating and we were worried so-!"

"We brought you a cake," Hana finished, holding up a box from a bakery. "It's one of those weird super dark chocolate ones that you like."

 _They came here because they were worried? These people were worried about me?_ She wiped at the tears threatening to fall and managed a half-smile. "Hm. You haven't seen my new house, right? Want to come in?" She led the way, letting her friends inside _. Friends. They are my friends, aren't they?_ The thought made her feel oddly happy. The past two weeks had felt like hell, but this day seemed to be the turning point. Even if the despair was still creeping at the edge of her thoughts. "I'll make some tea to go with the cake," she declared, already fetching the tea set.

"Oh. You kept Lucy?" Hana inquired, looking at the dog.

Kyoko sat on the couch with the Labrador and giggled when Lucy licked her cheek. "She's so sweet! How could you expect Shizu-chan to get rid of her?"

"Yeah, I've thought about maybe training her also," Shizu told them.

Yamamoto and Tsuna joined the girls in the living room to play with the dog while Gokudera made his way over to Shizu. "Why the hell are you covered in blood?" he hissed, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "Do you know how worried I've been?! You weren't talking and you stopped eating!"

She half-closed her eyes, letting the warmth from his body calm her. "I'm not okay." Her words came out in just above a whisper. "I'm really not okay. I never will be. Please understand that. I lost Isa…she was like a sister to me…she was all the family I had. While I really just want to join her, I need to be strong. At least long enough to _avenge_ her." A tear trailed down the side of her face, splashing to the counter top. "Hayato. If I want to end it, you have to let me."

"I won't let you kill yourself!" he argued, keeping his voice low.

"If you won't let me, I'll be forced to kill you. Don't fucking argue with me." She poured the tea into six cups and carried the tray out to the living room. "Sorry. I only had green tea."

Tsuna awkwardly sat beside Shizu on the floor, trembling slightly. He felt horrible. He had felt horrible for the past two weeks. Those days had been far easier than this moment, seeing Shizu. Of course he knew she had suffered after Isabelle died; they two had been close enough that anyone might mistake them for sisters. Knowing how Isabelle had died, why she had died, was haunting him more than anyone could know. He was being very good about hiding it, but the past two weeks had been filled with nightmares every time he went to sleep. He saw Isabelle's face as she died. As Shizu held her. He had not been there, but Reborn divulged the details to him. Though Reborn referred to it as a 'success' rather than a 'tragedy".

"Are you okay, Tsuna-kun? You're shaking a lot," Kyoko remarked.

He jolted a little and rubbed the back of his neck. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. So, Nanase-chan, you bought this house?"

The dark-haired girl sipped her tea and frowned. "Needed a change of scenery."

"Are you going to try to find your mother's relatives here in Japan?" Hana asked.

The thought had never occurred to Shizu. She lowered her gaze to the tea and shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know though. They might not want to meet me. My mother sort of broke family tradition when she moved to Italy. And she wasn't married to my father. I don't think the Nanase family would want to see me."

"You won't know until you try," Yamamoto pointed out. "They should be proud of you!"

 _They couldn't be proud of me. Ever. I'm a murderer. I'm a failure._ Seeing a bit of dried blood on her wrist, she licked her thumb and tried to rub it off.

"Ah! Wow, Shizu-chan! That's a beautiful tattoo! Did you get it for Isa-chan?" Kyoko was staring at the butterfly inked on Shizu's left arm.

"Yeah. I thought, since I have one for my mother…" She sipped her tea again, a bit awkwardly. Lucy trotted over and licked her cheek, whimpering.

Tsuna's shoulders drooped, thinking about how she had suffered. Even now, just talking about the tattoo, she looked like she might cry. But he could never tell her. He could never tell her that Reborn sent someone to kill Isabelle so Shizu's ties to the Capellos would be severed. Reborn had referred to Shizu as a valuable asset to the Vongola family, but Tsuna doubted that murder had been necessary to bring her to them.

"Well I'm glad to see you're feeling a little better," Kyoko said with a smile. "We were all really worried about you, Shizu-chan!"

"Ugh. Even _Hibari_. He's been hanging around the classroom every morning looking for you," Hana added. "What exactly _is_ your relationship with him anyway?"

"I don't know. I think he's a creep." Shizu leaned back against the wall, sighing. "Look. I'm not good with words or expressing myself, but…I really do appreciate you all coming here." She was fighting off tears, trying to at least look stronger than she felt. "It's been rough. Every morning when I wake up, it's like reopening a wound. Like every time I think I've accepted it, it hits me again. I'll never see her again. I failed her."

"You didn't fail her!" Kyoko protested. She grabbed Shizu's hands, giving her a stern look that seemed almost maternal. "Shizu-chan, you didn't fail anyone! You couldn't help it that you were called away! Sometimes things just happen! I know it hurts and I miss Isa-chan, too. So you know I'm here for you, if you ever need someone to talk to! All of us! We're all here for you, Shizu-chan! We just want you to be happy!" The girl lifted a hand to wipe away Shizu's tears, smiling her sweetest. "It's going to be okay, Shizu-chan! I promise!"

 _Nothing will ever be okay._ Shizu half-smiled and nodded. She ate cake with her friends and bid them all farewell afterwards. Now alone, she curled up on her bed. There was still blood dried on her clothes and skin, but she ignored it. The tears would not stop flowing as she trembled. _Nothing will ever be okay_ , she thought again. _She's gone forever. How can you say that it's going to okay?_ Her stomach began to ache as if she might vomit, but she remained curled up on her side. She could hear Lucy whimpering outside of the bedroom, but the request for attention fell upon deaf ears. Shizu sank her nails into her upper arms and tore downward. It gave her a very small sense of relief, followed by pain. The smell of fresh blood came to her and she grimaced. _I want to die. I want to die so badly, but I have to avenge her!_

The door clicked open, admitting Lucy. The dog rushed to jump onto the bed and curled up beside Shizu, trying to lick at her wounds. It puzzled the girl until she felt something quite soothing. Fingers ran through her short black hair as another hand lightly traced her scratches. "Little Shizu~" a familiar voice spoke softly. "Go to sleep…"

She clenched her eyes shut tightly and tore down her arms again, feeling her fingertips become slick with her own blood. "Mukuro…I want to die…"

He shook his head, though she was unable to see it. "Kufufu~ You're not allowed to die."


End file.
